Preaching peace for Boston's streets

They say they've seen crime up close. They say they've been street hustlers, gang-bangers, and thieves, and most have spent years in jail. And last night they gathered in a community center basement to talk about bringing peace to the streets of Boston.

The dozen men from Orchard Park, Columbia Point, Mission Hill, Academy Homes, neighborhoods known to police as high-crime areas, met at the invitation of Youth in Crisis Ministries Inc.

Together they called upon city officials to reform the criminal justice system, to help former offenders find jobs, and above all else, to recognize them as street workers who have the credibility to reach out to youths and reduce crime on the streets.

''I feel like I am in a position that's powerful," said Charles Jacobs of Roxbury, saying that youths looking for advice, a role model, or simply someone to talk to often seek him out. ''They'll come talk to me before talking to a street worker or police."

Jacobs wants to reach out to them, he said, but he doesn't have the resources.

As Boston police are trying to reduce guns, gangs, and witness intimidation, the ministers who organized the meeting said they have a better approach to fighting the city's violent crime surge, and it begins with recruiting the very people who have had gang ties and are looking to change their lives.

''I'm tired of going to kids' funerals," the Rev. Shaun O. Harrison, head of Youth In Crisis Ministries, told the men before leading them in prayer. ''I know you guys hold the key to turn this whole thing around. You've been there. You've done that. I want you on my team."

The men who talked for about 90 minutes at Tobin Community Center in Roxbury ranged in age from their mid-20s to late 30s. They shared their experiences on the streets, in jail, and back out again. They debated Mayor Thomas M. Menino's campaign to halt the sales of ''Stop Snitchin' " T-shirts, and the role they want to see for themselves as leaders in their communities.

The gathering, said Minister Dale Robinson, was designed to prove a point.

''We want to show that people from different communities can get together without being policed," he said. ''We want [city officials] to know we can police each other and our neighborhoods before the police are called."

Larry Mayes, Boston's chief of human services, said in a telephone interview last night that the gathering was ''a positive step," but also said that the problem of former offenders not finding jobs is complex and frustrating for city leaders. To fix it requires more money from the state and federal government, he said.

In the basement, the men shook hands, prayed, and offered words of hope. They plan on meeting every two weeks, each time bringing more men along.

''It's not about snitching," said David Brice, 27. ''We've got to step up as men. Ain't nobody in this room snitching about anything. It's about manning up and taking responsibility for what's happening in our community."

But there were also words of frustration and challenges made to city leaders that if they were serious about stopping the cycle of crime they need to start with the system itself, the men said.

''I just did 16 years" in state and federal prison, said Charles Lee, 35. ''When I came out, there were no resources for me. I've been out two years. I'm still unemployed right now. To me, it's a great challenge. It's very easy to do wrong, and it's hard to do right. They already got it in their heads, once a con, always a con."

Dana Jones, 34, said he served 10 years in jail. When he returned to his neighborhood, he said, he attended Bay State School of Technology and became licensed to fix heating, ventilation systems, and air conditioners. Though he said he's been offered jobs at department stores and cable companies, Jones never saw a day of work because his potential employers learned about his criminal record.

''I want to work," he said, adding that he has teenage children. ''But I am at home doing nothing. I mean, how am I not going back on the street? I need to feed my kids."

Megan Tench can be reached at mtench@globe.com.