Keeping Our Communities Safe: One Young Person at a Time

BY HON ERIC ADAMS

The old saying, ‘Prevention is better than cure’ is truer than ever today. There are many problems that we face now, which—if we deal with them at the source—can be handled effectively and with less suffering. Gun violence among our young people is one of them. Our administration’s historic $89 million investment in New York City’s Crisis Management System as well as landmark investments in our Summer Youth Employment Program and Summer Rising will give our young people a sense of purpose and keep them engaged and safe. Our Crisis Management System is based on a widely recognized public health approach to addressing violent conflict and aims to change New Yorkers’ attitudes towards using violence in tense situations. Taken together, our Crisis Management System and the summer programs will provide our young people with the opportunities and skills they need to build a better future and help prevent gun violence before it arises.

These efforts will build on our success in preventing crime: shootings have declined by 24% in the first six months of 2023, and more generally, crime has fallen in five of the seven major cate- gories during the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2022. We will continue to bring crime down and keep New York the safest large city in the nation.

Our Crisis Management System deploys local residents, "violence interrupters,” and community leaders to mediate disputes and connect young people aged 16 to 24 most at risk of gun violence to mentorship. Violence interrupters are often people with a history of violent behavior who have succeeded in turning their own lives around. They are well positioned to defuse tensions before they become dangerous, and can connect high-risk individuals to mental health services, job training, employment opportunities, and more, giving young people a sense of purpose and decreasing the risk of violence. Our CMS teams will operate in 31 neighborhoods that account for more than two-thirds of shooting incidents citywide.

We’re also getting more of our young people on the right track with summer enrichment and employment programs that will keep them challenged and engaged so that we reduce the need for these kinds of interventions later on. Our Summer Rising Program serves 110,00 young people in grades K-8. The program, which runs for 6 to 7 weeks starting on July 5th, will help students close the COVID learning gap and allow them to enjoy a fun summer in a secure and supervised environment. It allows our parents and caregivers to work without worrying about how their children will stay occupied. Our Summer Youth Employment Program will reach 100,000 youth this summer; it provides paid opportunities in a variety of fields including business, tech, and healthcare.

Gun violence doesn’t take place in a vacuum. It occurs when young people lack a sense of purpose and turn to violence or other antisocial behavior instead. With the right social-emotional skills, and with paid and engaging internship opportunities, our at risk-youth can turn their lives around. I should know. When I was a young man, I got into trouble with law and now, I’m mayor of New York City.

I want all our young people to have the same second chance that I did, and for New York to remain a safe and a thriving beacon for all.l tions, and served as Director of Marketing and Product Development of the St. Lucia Air and Seaports Authority; Director of Business Development for Margaritaville Caribbean Group in Jamaica; CEO of the Tortola Pier Park in the British Virgin Islands; and General Manager of the Antigua Cruise Port where she is currently employed.

Eric Adams is the 110th mayor of New York City since January 1, 2022. He served in the New York State Senate from 2006 to 2013, representing the 20th Senate district in Brooklyn. In November 2013, Adams was elected Brooklyn Borough President, the first African-American to hold the position, and reelected in November 2017.

Chairman of the CTO, Kenneth Bryan, who is the Minister of Tourism and Ports of the Cayman Islands, welcomed RegisProsper to the regional body. “We are extremely pleased to have Dona RegisProsper come on board to lead the CTO. Her vast experience, strategic insight, and impressive track record in the tourism sector make her an exceptional choice to propel our organization into a new era,” he stated, adding that having more women in positions of influence enhances the efficiency of the region’s major economic earner and sends positive messages of encouragement and inspiration for women and girls across the Caribbean.

A dynamic and transformative leader who has built and sustained a strong network of professionals in both the public and private sector (working closely with regional government officials, tourism stakeholders, and industry professionals), Regis-Prosper emerged as the top choice from a pool of more than 60 highly qualified applicants. The rigorous selection process included multiple rounds of interviews and a comprehensive assessment related to addressing some of the most pressing issues faced by the regional tourism industry.

Chairman Bryan disclosed that throughout the selection process, ministers, commissioners and directors lauded Regis-Prosper’s transformational leadership style. “They found her to be innovative, forward-thinking, results-driven, and solution-oriented,” he said, noting that her perspective on managing the climate crisis was particularly wellreceived, illustrating her deep-seated passion for sustainability and her ability to develop practical solutions to critical industry issues.

Regis-Prosper takes over the organization’s leadership reins from Acting Secretary General and CEO Neil Walters,

CTO’s Director of Finance and Resource Management, who has been filling the position following the retirement of Barbadian Hugh Riley in 2019. The other two Caribbean tourism professionals to serve in the region’s top tourism post include the late tourism stalwart Jean Holder and Vincent Vanderpool Wallace, former Bahamas Director General and Bahamas Minister of Tourism.

Of her new role, Regis-Prosper stated, “I am deeply honored to have been selected to serve as Secretary General of the CTO and am grateful for the trust and confidence the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism and the Board of Directors have placed in me. I eagerly look forward to working with our dedicated team and diverse stakeholders to promote the

Caribbean tourism sector, champion sustainability, and continue to foster impactful relationships and deliver ROI for our members.”

With a Master of Business Administration degree, Certified Professional Marketer qualification, and significant experience in business development, strategy, marketing and sustainability, Regis-Prosper is well able to lead the Caribbean tourism sector into a bright and prosperous future, Chairman Bryan asserted.

About the Caribbean Tourism Organization

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), headquartered in Barbados, is the Caribbean’s tourism development agency, comprising membership of the region’s finest countries and territories, including Dutch-, English- and Frenchspeaking, as well as a range of private sector allied members. The CTO’s vision is to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year-round, warm-weather destination, and its purpose is Leading Sustainable Tourism - One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean.

Among the benefits to its members, the organization provides specialized support and technical assistance in sustainable tourism development, marketing, communications, advocacy, human resource development, event planning & execution, and research & information technology.l