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Residents press council to fund community-led youth programs and 'Save Our Streets' violence-prevention efforts
Summary
Scores of residents and organizers urged the council to reallocate public-safety funds toward youth programming, community engagement specialists and transportation for programs, and to adopt the 'Save Our Streets' initiative as a budget priority.
During the second open forum at the Jan. 23, 2025 St. Petersburg City Council meeting, residents and community organizers — many affiliated with Dream Defenders — urged the council to prioritize funding for youth programming and community-led violence-prevention measures in the 2026 budget.
Speakers called for redirecting some public-safety dollars toward preventive, community-based programs, better outreach, and transportation support so children and teens can access existing offerings. ‘‘We need paid positions to engage in active community outreach to make sure our young humans and their families can benefit from these valuable programs,’’ said Dr. Christy Faust, echoing the Save Our Streets campaign’s emphasis on outreach and access.
Multiple presenters described that many families do not know how to find or access current services and asked the city to fund community-engagement specialists who would do door-to-door outreach, coordinate transportation and reduce administrative barriers. A range of specific asks included more funding for mentorship, academic support, career development, transportation to programs and expansion of services for older teens.
Why this matters: Organizers emphasized that preventing violence requires investment in neighborhood-based programming and better coordination across city services. Speakers repeatedly argued that community-driven prevention is a public-safety measure and requested that the city allocate funds accordingly rather than increasing police budgets.
Voices and organizations: Dream Defenders members and local residents delivered testimony: Daniel Camardella urged zoning reform and mixed-use opportunities in a different part of the meeting; Lehi El Hassan and others described canvassing results showing strong demand for accessible youth programs; Sierra Clark and Jay James described gaps in outreach and the need for sustained funding.
Next steps: Speakers asked council to adopt Save Our Streets as a budget priority and direct staff to fund pilot programs in neighborhoods like Childs Park, with the aim of scaling to other neighborhoods. Council members heard the comments as part of the council’s ongoing budget deliberations; no formal budget action was taken at this meeting.
