With the number of arrests for the murder of young people increasing, the Youth Violence Prevention Center wants to address the problem

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) – Last week alone, four teenagers were taken into custody in the Triangle on murder charges.

An 18-year-old faced charges in the April murder of a North Carolina Central University student in Durham, and two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old were arrested in Raleigh for shooting a man to death last month.

“It's disturbing to see what we're seeing with our young people. They're idle and they have a lot of time on their hands,” Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson told ABC11.

The Youth Violence Prevention Center, based in Lumberton, addresses this very problem and develops summer and after-school programs to keep children busy.

“Whether it’s through art, dance, music, photography, our interactive theater, all of these things give them another chance to see things through different eyes,” said Paul Smokowski, executive director of the NC Youth Violence Prevention Center.

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The center also employs violence interrupters who are experienced and respected in these communities. Their goal is to intercept children who may be moving further toward violence.

“They're out in the community trying to defuse problems,” he said. “For example, last school year we had 26 calls about weapons being brought onto school property (in Robeson County). They called our violence interrupters and told them, 'Hey, look inside, you know, look in locker number 63.' Sometimes the community is more willing to talk to them than they are to talk to the police or the principal.”

Smokowski said the interrupters managed to defuse all 26 incidents last year, saying it shows how violence interrupters work within systems to try to reduce conflict.

The center works mainly in rural areas, but the root of the problem may be universal: children need something to do to pass the time, and they need positive role models to keep them on the right path.

“I think we can really make a difference if we can engage young people early on in a positive way that has lifelong impact,” he said.