I think that not so much funding into the police.... The police are a reactive response; they are not a proactive response. I think that programs like Marcell Wilson's with the One by One Movement, which does gang intervention.... I think that trauma support is a major factor, because once you have experienced the homicide of a loved one, you literally lose your mind. It is the most horrible experience I have ever had in my life, and I will never be the same person I once was. I had thoughts of suicide [Technical difficulty—Editor] my son going out of control [Technical difficulty—Editor] to get involved. I couldn't function. People have to leave their jobs because they can't function anymore. People see their other children spiralling out of control, and they don't have what it takes to intervene.
The cycle of violence is very real and very serious. We need to address the root causes. That is what needs to be done. We've had person after person in this forum speak about it, and for 14 years have had the same community leaders speaking about the same thing. And still, it's the voices of the people in anomalous situations who are not affected by the everyday violence that are heard over the people who live this day to day. It's extremely frustrating, but that's what needs to happen. The social determinants of health and the root causes, that is where it lies; and if we had done it 14 years ago, we would not be in this place today.