FTC students reach the root questions of crime

The Franklin Town Charter High School and its Department of Criminal Justice recently had their second annual symposium for crime prevention in recognition of the national week to prevent youth control.

The symposium contained seven presentations by students from students of the criminal justice program. The presentations showed students research on Philadelphia-specific crime trends, the evaluation of existing grants as well as initiatives and solutions developed by students who keep up or even surpass the current practices.

The symposium honors the memory of Isaiah Heiden, a class of 2022 graduate, which in December 2023 at a shootout in a mini-mart on the 5200 block of the Oxford Ave. was killed.

Michael Murphy is the criminal justice teacher.

Students who made presentations were Josh Thevenin, Ly'ric Skipworth, Brody Smith and the teams by Kaelyn Everman/Sara Green, Dianne Aigbokhaevbo/Sophia Blaisdell, Lyriana Noel/Marlik Sullivan and Olivia McCormick/Makayla Martin.

Judges Included Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, City Councilwoman Nina Ahmad, Holy Family Criminal Justice Associate Professor Patricia Griffin and Representative of the Temple University Department of Public Safety, Philadelphia Fire Department, The La Salle University Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Violence Prevention, The City Department of Parks and Recreation and the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia.

Brianna O'Donnell, CEO of Franklin Town, said that she was proud of the student projects and the growth of the criminal justice program.

Bethel attributed the students to achieve the root questions of crime.

“Job well done,” Ahmad told the students, adding that she was impressed by her empathy, content and presentation skills. ••