Media-Only Contact:  John A. Stokes,  (202) 673-2195

This afternoon, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced that, as part of a Ward 5 anti-crime/anti-gang initiative, its Roving Leaders Program (RLP) will begin a youth intervention and crime prevention outreach program from 6 pm to 12 midnight in select Ward 5 communities on weekends.

Beginning tonight and continuing every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Sunday, September 28, the Roving Leaders will be in Ward 5 communities to engage youth, young adults and families through one-on-one and group interactions. Through the aggressive outreach campaign, the Roving Leaders will also provide referrals for District-wide government services as well as distribute informational literature on opportunities such as DPR’s Family Movie Nights, Fun Wagon and Skatemobile.

“I am greatly pleased that our Roving Leaders will be actively working this summer to keep Ward 5 youth connected to safe and structured activities,” said Clark E. Ray, director of DPR. “Programs like DPR’s successful ‘Supreme Teen Night Out’ show our commitment to host programs that reflect their interests. Now, rather than wait for youth to come to us, we are going outside the walls of our sites with a message of prevention and intervention.”

The Ward 5 Anti-Crime/Anti-Gang Initiative allows the RLP to focus its outreach efforts in the following Ward 5 communities:

• Brentwood/Montana/Saratoga 
• Carver/Langston 
• Langdon Park
• Ft. Lincoln
• Trinidad

The mission of the Roving Leaders Program (RLP) of DPR is to prevent, neutralize and control hostile behavior in youth and youth groups through the development of positive relationship between teens/youth and outreach workers. The outreach staff utilizes recreation and leisure time activities as the intervening vehicles for redirecting antisocial and aggressive behaviors. Focuses of the RLP include youth outreach, conflict/violence and juvenile delinquency prevention, education, health and connecting youth with social services.

In addition to preventative and intervention services, the Roving Leaders will be engaging community youth to participate in special outings to Six Flags, Washington Mystics and Washington Nationals games.