Recommendations from Louisville’s Violence Prevention Task Force are being finalized, and a report will be submitted to Mayor Greg Fischer soon, but task force members say improving the city’s crime culture could take time.The 37-member workgroup has been considering how the city can reduce violence in Louisville following a series of shootings in May. The report includes a range of topics like education, health and community-building.Drafts of the proposal, which can be found on former task force chair Dr. Blain Hudson's University of Louisville website, show a range of recommendations from setting education goals to subsidizing foreclosed property to provide space for neighborhood associations in communities of need.Task force member Christopher 2X said it will take time to address some of the issues that have built up over years and the recommendations include a broad range of topics that will require further action by local city and community leaders.“Sometimes you need a push, you need a push in the direction to try to bring about positive change. And these are at least maybe small steps right now, but hopefully everybody will buy into the process at some point and then we’ll make bigger gains, said 2X.Task force member Dr. Ricky Jones is a Pan African Studies professor at U of L. He said the recommendation are a long-term effort to address the violence problem in the community.There have been 46 homicides so far this year in Louisville. Last year there were a total of 51 and 54 in 2010.2X said the city needs to do a better job at reaching youth and with communication in general.
