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ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - Community activists, business leaders, and clergy all marched in Pine Hills in a new push against deadly violence there. It’s part of "Operation Ceasefire," which is aimed at cutting down on crime in Pine Hills.
It's organized by the Central Florida Urban League, whose director, Glenton Gilzean Jr., said programs like this have worked in other cities.
“People from education, people from career source, from housing, from legal services, will all be a part of this effort to help provide that lifeline for those most at risk,” Gilzean said.
Gilzean said it's part of a three-pronged plan. First is to have monthly marches, where activists will go out into Pine Hills and let them know about this effort. Second, they say Orlando Police and Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies will give them data on the people in Pine Hills most likely to commit crimes, and help these activists identify them. Third will be community leaders going out on the streets and engaging with at-risk people in Pine Hills to help turn their lives around.
“Pine Hills is a great community. We have great churches, businesses,” Gilzean said, “and just for a few to make a disruption to paint the entire community, our goal is to work with them, give them, give them a lifeline, give them an opportunity to change their lifestyle.”
Gilzean said their goal is to cut gun violence in Pine Hills by 30 percent over the next five years. The Orange County Sheriff's Office says robberies, car thefts, and murders are already down by more than 25 percent over the last couple of years.