STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Data shows that more young people die from street violence on Staten Island during the summer months. So in an effort to get ahead of the numbers, Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently met with a local violence-interrupter group to discuss ways the city could help.
“I think the work that you do … makes it clear that this is a crisis across the city, and there’s a lot more the city has to do to actually meet you halfway,” Mamdani told the group in a video posted on social media as a public service announcement.
The city-funded group, True2Life, works to resolve conflicts in communities plagued by socioeconomic inequities and generational trauma, while empowering young people to recognize self-destructive behavior and pursue healthier goals. They operate as part of the citywide Crisis Management System.
Featured throughout the video is True2Life Program Director Mike Perry, who was involved in violent incidents as a young person on Staten Island’s North Shore. Over the past several years, he’s worked to reform his life and help others do the same…