A neighborhood in Hartford is marking a milestone of sorts - nine months with no fatal shootings.
The Greater Hartford NAACP said it’s thanks to a weekly program directly engaging with the community.
“We have been here trying to dispute, negate and stop issues that are happening in the greater Hartford area,” Reverand Doctor Bruce L. Carter with the Greater Hartford NAACP said.
He considers Barbour Street in Hartford home and for the last nine months, he and the Greater Hartford NAACP have been hosting “Wake Up Wednesdays.”
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“We have been here in rain, snow, sleet, every single Wednesday for nine months,” Carter said.
They say their work has led to a halt in fatal shootings. They said there hasn’t been one along the street since August of 2023. It was eight murders that led to the creation of the “Wake up Wednesday” program.
According to the Hartford Police Department, there have only been four fatal shootings in the capitol city this year. That number is down from this time last year but didn’t have the data readily available to determine how much the number is down.
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“I think it’s very important for us to serve the people and get that engagement and let them know that they are not out here by themselves,” President of the Greater Hartford NAACP Corrie Betts said.
The event offers food, clothing, resources or just a listening ear for members of the community looking to engage. Betts said the success is in the conversation.
“The people with which I am out here, I know them, and I see the struggle,” Betts said.
Mayor Arunan Arulampalam stopped by himself Wednesday, like he has a few times over the last nine months.
“People don’t just build relationships, they are connected to resources, they are connected to jobs, they are connected to social resources,” Arulampalam said.
He applauded the work being done.
“For all of us who love this city, who care about this city, this should be really exciting for all of us,” the mayor said.
He acknowledged there are several organizations working hard all over the city toward the same goal of non-violence. He hopes something can be learned from the success at the intersection of Barbour and Earle streets.
“There are so many community leaders who are committed to this work, who really want to be a part of the hard work of healing trauma on the streets of this city,” Arulampalam said.
