Children design park to combat youth violence

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A South Bend park will be renovated to give kids a safe and clean place to play. Officials hope the new Kelly Park will help combat youth violence.

A group of children involved with the Robinson Community Learning Center came up with the idea, and presented it to city officials. They say there are aware of the recent youth violence and hope this park renovation can help.

"We're doing positive things instead of being violent," said Anyjah Perkins, one of the children who helped design the park renovations.

Parks have played a big role in South Bend's violence problem, recently.

In March, 19-year-old Cornell Taylor was shot and killed at Fremont Park, only a couple miles away from Kelly Park.

Students hope the Kelly Park renovations can help curb some of this violence.

"The community can come together as one and not turn on each other, not be violent, this can be a place everybody can come together," said Perkins.

And city officials, like Deputy Mayor Mark Neal, agree with this group of students, who hope this park will be a safe place for the community to come together.

"Does it address the violence issue? I hope it does, but more importantly, what are we doing to give youth opportunities in our community of things they can enjoy and learn from," said Neal.