NAACP speaks on youth violence in Baltimore City

BALTIMORE —  As the city's newly reinstated curfew for teens prepares to take effect in the near future, community leaders are speaking up about what they say is a deeper issue. 

Reverend Cobi Little, President of the Baltimore NAACP, spoke to WJZ about the violence among the youth in the city, after two minors were shot near the harbor on Sunday. 

"A curfew may be a temporary solution for an acute situation, but a long-standing curfew does nothing but abridge the rights of those who are abiding by the law and those who have a right to enjoy the city," Reverend Little said.

The curfew was reinstated after a shooting took place at the Inner Harbor, where two teenagers were wounded. Reverend Little believes that the violence among the youth is a symptom of a greater problem and requires a unified commitment from the entire community to address it.

"Part of the issue is there's a sense of hopelessness. A part of the issue is that there is a lack of opportunity. Part of the issue is that there's a lack of adult leadership, and so we hope to address all of those issues in the coming weeks and months, to build peace in Baltimore," Reverend Little said.

He also believes that building peace means spreading love, building relationships, and connections with the youth, work that will require all of us to pitch in.

The details of the curfew are still being worked out by the mayor's agency, including a start date. "We will, of course, keep you updated on those details as soon as we know it," Dingle said.In the meantime, Reverend Little and other community leaders are calling for a more comprehensive approach to address the deeper issues causing the violence among the youth in Baltimore