COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Columbus is on pace for another record breaking year when it comes to violence.

Several community groups in Columbus are working to make the city safer, especially as summer approaches. They pitched their ideas to city council Tuesday.

It was a total coincidence that D’Marte Williams and Shawanna Gibson were playing outside Columbus City Hall with their children as City Council held a hearing about safety and keeping children away from violence, but those are issues the sisters care greatly about.

“You can’t go to the movies, you can’t go to the gas station,” Gibson said. “It’s scary to know or to even let your kids be out for real, to do any of the things they want to do or they’re trying to do because it’s not safe.”

In what has been another violent year for Columbus, they want the city to be a safer place for their young kids and teens to grow up. 

“We worry,” Williams said. “They kids. They kids.”

On Tuesday night during a virtual Reimagining Public Safety hearing, City Council heard from 13 different community organizations working to keep kids away from violence. 

Just this year, Columbus Police are reporting there have been two homicide victims between 13 and 17 years of age, and 13 victims between 18 and 21 years. There are also seven suspects between those two age ranges.

“What we know for sure is violence only increases in the summertime, so we want to make sure these dollars are out the door, that the dollars are in the hands of these organizations and they’ll be able to deliver the services we need to keep our community safe going forward,” said Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin.

Many of the groups are already working with kids in the city. They offer job training programs, mentorship programs, educational opportunities, and more. They’re looking to City Council for more funding to reach more kids. That’s one of their biggest questions. 

“I agree with the job training, but how are you all going to reach them?” Williams said. “That’s what I want to know.”

Because the sisters want a safer Columbus, too.

“As African American mothers, we want this to stop,” Williams said. “We want it to stop.” 

Hardin says council plans to have funding to these organizations within the next two weeks. 

The money will come from the city’s $10 million Reimagining Public Safety Fund.

“We know summer is fast approaching and it is critical to have community-based organizations leading the charge to engage young people as the weather warms up,” Hardin said. “I’m confident Columbus will be safer and more positive if more positive youth programming is funded this summer.”