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Council posts reward, debates stepped-up policing and community measures after 13-year-old's killing
Summary
The council approved a reward to locate suspects in the killing of 13-year-old Marquis Prude and engaged in an extended discussion on police resources, neighborhoods' safety and proposals for saturated enforcement and anti-violence programs.
The City Council voted to post a reward for information leading to an arrest in the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Marquis Prude at Saint Andrews Park and debated a package of policing and community responses to rising violent crime.
Motion and vote: Council Member Mark Ridley-Thomas and others urged the council to approve a reward; after discussion, the council approved the special motion to post a reward (recorded vote: 13 ayes). The city attorney explained the council first had to make findings that the need to act arose after the agenda was posted and that an immediate need existed; the council made those findings and approved the special motion.
Council discussion: Multiple council members described sharply rising homicide counts in several council districts and called for coordinated action. Council Member Pacheco moved for a follow-up motion (seconded by others) directing department-level planning for "saturated" police work — a short-term, concentrated enforcement effort for neighborhoods after a violent incident — and for city departments to compile contracts that could employ unskilled laborers through community-based organizations. Council members stressed both law-enforcement responses and longer-term prevention via jobs and youth diversion programs.
Why it matters: Members described the killing as emblematic of a broader surge of violence affecting children and neighborhoods. Several council members said confidence between communities and police needed rebuilding; others linked recent rises in violent incidents to changes in department operations and to the effects of the consent decree on officer conduct.
Next steps and requests: Council directed findings to be entered for the reward motion and requested follow-up motions be prepared; specific saturation deployments and budget implications were discussed but not adopted at this meeting. Council Member Perry said she would submit a written Rule 16 motion to assemble contracts across city departments that could be used to hire unskilled workers through community-based organizations.
Ending: The council’s vote to post the reward was approved; members requested additional measures and reports to address violent crime and to coordinate enforcement and prevention.
