SHARONVILLE, Ohio — Dozens of community members attended a panel Thursday night dedicated to finding solutions to Cincinnati's ongoing violence.
The “Save our Streets” forum at the 83rd Fourth District meeting for Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated talked about current issues that police and fire see, how it impacts them and solutions to the problem.
“We just don’t want to have surface-level conversations. We want to try to get to the root cause and figure out how we can support them with resources,” said Marcus Bethay, president of the Beta Iota chapter of Omega Psi Phi chapter.
Behay said they’ve been planning this panel discussion for months and the timing was perfect considering recent violent events.
The panelists included community members, police, victim advocates and firefighters. They talked about some of the issues they’re seeing in the community, and they are hoping to change it.
Omega Psi Phi is focusing on mentorship.
“We kind of jump in as that big brother, big sister, guardian, in the community,” said Michael West, Fourth District representative of Omega Psi Phi. “We spend time with the kids, we nurture the kids, we love up on the kids. We let them know we have a brighter future, we let them know we have a purpose.”
Bethay said they have found success through these mentorship programs, helping kids become doctors, lawyers and executives.
“So that mentor really challenges you, but also helps you grow, uplifts you, but also gives you that tough feedback. So I think those combinations of things really help to energize that individual, and make them a better person and help them grow,” West said.
Bethay said they handed out 12 scholarships last year, totaling $48,000 to help teens continue their education.
He said they’re also partnering with the Cincinnati Police Department on a 14-week bowling program.
“There’s a ton of scholarships that exist in bowling that not everybody knows about, a lot of people don’t know about the sport. We give them a free bowling ball, we teach them about the game, and just expose them to something new to let them know you have an outlet,” he said.
Omega Psi Phi had a group meeting because they feel like they can make lasting change together, working alongside various community organizations.
“So the goal as we leave here today is to have a great conversation, but how can we leave some tangible things and actions items that they say this is how we’re going to work together…how we’re going to make our community better by working together,” Bethay said.
Bethay said there’s more work to do and they are excited to be a part of the change.
Over 300 Omega men are in Cincinnati this weekend for several events including this forum.
