Residents Demand Help For Kids

Some Albany residents told the city's Common Council they want their city free from gangs and violence. They say city funding should be used to pay for community centers that might help young people steer clear of a life of violence.

One 54-year-old man told how he was kicked and beaten by a group of ten teen-agers who he says only wanted to assault him - not rob him. He asked CBS 6 to not report his name because he's afraid someone will come to his home and put his family in danger. He wonders if the attack on Delaware Avenue on November 6 was part of a gang initiation.

"The intensity and the hatred and violence was unbelievable. They were punching and kicking me with intense hatred and I don't even know these people. To me, this was a hate crime," he said.

Some common council members agree community centers for young people are a good idea but others say that's just part of the solution. "We can't just slap something together to appease those of us who are angry today," said Chrys Ballerano, one of several people who spoke during the council meeting's public comment period.

What's needed, says Ballerano, is a network of elders to show kids it's possible to find a meaningful life and respect for others.

Danielle Williams-White is another resident who shared Ballerano's concern.

"They wonder why we have so (many) kids acting up attacking people - the kids have nothing to do, they have no role models. We need positive role models in these centers that the kids will come to and they'll talk to," says Williams-White.

Sister Natalie Runfola, of St. John and St. Ann's Parish, says she recently returned to Albany after twenty-seven years and is shocked at how the city has changed. She told the council there's no time to waste. "I urge you - please - take this problem seriously. It can only get worse if we don't attend to it now."