CINCINNATI — In 2024, saving teens’ lives and ensuring a brighter future has been the focus of our Search for Solutions at WCPO 9. It's part of a broader effort for us to be an advocate for our community and highlight issues and solutions.
This all started back in January, when videos emerged of a group of teens assaulting people on the streets of Cincinnati, indiscriminately.
We immediately sought to find solutions to this issue, and held two community conversations focused on youth violence. We spoke with advocates, non-profits, and teens about the work being done daily, culminating in our half-hour Search for Solutions special. You can watch that at the top of this article.
Within those conversations, we heard amazing stories of resilience, perseverance and the struggle to survive.
"When they make a decision to change, it's not easy because it's all that they've been knowing," Bishop James said. "(Life on the streets) gave them hope. It gave them life. It gave them purpose and even when you show them a different way, it takes a lot to step forward and say 'no more.'"
James is referring to a young man, his face shielded by a dark mask and sunglasses because he escaped a life of violence. He said the streets want him but "we reached out and we got one back… we need to embrace these babies because that's what they are and just know that, you know, you've got families out there that don't know the way, or they feel it's too late, it's never too late."
This teen got some help from a family member who stepped up, to bring him in and help him see a path forward more clearly.
Amber Riddle said she knows that there are teens who “can't see the light in the middle of the day,” and wanted to make sure her family members can.
She thanked the other advocates in the room for “providing a direction when there really isn't one, that anybody knows where the steps are to start, thank you for stepping up.”
The “step-up” is what our Search for Solutions was all about, people stepping up and pouring in their experiences to ensure no more young lives are lost.
Advocates tell us, you don’t need a PhD, millions of dollars, or 80 hours a week. These teens just need someone with a heart for helping and sometimes, just someone to be there.
"It's not easy turning their back on those decisions and life choices but when they do, we need to be here to celebrate it," said Bishop James.
We heard from teens who explained they carry guns because they fear for their lives, advocates who were calling for building stronger relationships between teens and other members of the community, Cincinnati's police chief, the mayor and more. Watch the full special in the video player at the top of this article.
