My name is Victoria Peterson and I am running for a seat on the Durham County Commissioners. Welcome to my blog and thanks for your interest in my campaign.
My purpose in running for this position is to unite with others to help improve the quality of life for all citizens of this county. Durham is plagued by crime and unemployment. We have many boarded up commercial and residential buildings in our community. Left over from the tobacco era, these vacant commercial buildings are eyesores. The abandoned residential houses are often used for criminal activity.
I have a vision of the future for Durham. My vision is of a county where ALL residents are able to find gainful employment. My vision is of a city where our young men are in school instead of in jail. My vision is of a county where we are willing to take the steps, and allocate the resources, needed to address these problems.
No matter who you are, no matter where you live in Durham, we can all agree that Durham has a crime problem. Even if, as some folks claim, it is partly a perception problem, the fact remains that there is simply too much crime in Durham.
The real question is how do we deal with it. A strong police presence and tough law enforcement are, without a doubt, a necessary and proper approach to crime. However, in order to get to the root of the problem we have to deal with the individuals who are committing the crimes.
As an African-American it pains me to have to say that we can’t deal with the crime problem without admitting that, by and large, it is a problem of young black males. These young men are our future. We cannot simply abandon them to the criminal justice system. We have to admit that we have failed these young men. Our educational system has failed them. We as a society have failed them. If we don’t want them to continue to fill our jails then we need to take the initiative and provide the training and the jobs they need to become contributing members of society.
Therefore, although law enforcement is crucial, it isn’t the only approach we should be employing to combat crime. We need effective intervention and prevention programs. Providing job training and placement should be our first line of defense in reducing the causes of criminal behavior.
If you agree with me on this issue then I ask for your support of my candidacy. A campaign like this needs a certain amount of financial support to be successful. However, just as important is a pool of volunteers to reach out to the community and spread the word about my campaign. Please call the campaign office or email to the following address. We will be in touch with you immediately to let you know how you can help.
Thank you again for your support. I look forward to working with you to make Durham a great city for everyone.
Victoria Peterson
P.O. Box 101
Durham, NC 27702
Ph: (919) 949-3867
Email: vbpeterson@nc.rr.com
