Rivers plans coalition to confront violence
The Rev. Eugene F. Rivers 3d, who was a leading member of the community-police partnership that stemmed an epidemic of gang violence in Boston in the 1990s, said yesterday that he is preparing a new 10-point plan challenging business executives, law enforcement officers, and middle-class families in the black community ``to take control of black youth."
The plan is intended to evoke memories of the 10-point plan and coalition that Rivers, the Rev. Bruce Wall, and the Rev. Ray Hammond put together in the 1990s to mobilize black churches against gang violence. The rapidly deteriorating situation on the streets requires a broader coalition now, Rivers said.
Rivers plans to announce the initiative at the Ella J. Baker House , the Dorchester community center he founded, alongside former gang leaders and violent offenders who have served their sentences and who are willing to help send an antigang, antiviolence message to 1,500 to 2,000 youths throughout the city.
``These are players, who are stepping out of that world" of street violence, Rivers said, ``and stepping up to assist us in focusing on these kids." He said he would call for a ``thug summit" to increase the ranks of former gang members helping youth.
The former gang members at the press conference will wear hoods ``to ensure they are not harassed as they begin to do this work," Rivers said.
``The police department needs help engaging the youth . . . We will work with the police, not for the police."
Boston's successes combatting its previous surge of youth violence won Rivers nationwide recognition and enabled him to forge alliances with leaders of the Bush administration's faith-based anti-gang initiatives.
Asked for comment on Rivers's new plan, Wall said yesterday : ``This will be one more of many plans that are on the table. ``What needs to happen," Wall said, ``is that rather than having five plans on the table, we need to have one plan that we all agree to throughout the city."
Charles A. Radin can be reached at radin@globe.com. 
