City Residents Pledge to Take Back Their Neighborhood
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Some city residents are taking a pledge together to take back their neighborhood from crime and violence. They are trying to inspire others to make a positive change.
It started with an online video and Facebook campaign by a father in Rochester, and now 300 people are signed up to take a pledge they call "Restoring the Neighborhood Back to the Hood."
Amen Ptah says he has had it with the crime and violence in his Rochester neighborhood.
He says more people need to get involved in their communities; care about where they live, how it looks and how they treat each other.
Ptah says there are more than a dozen registered sex offenders in the 19th Ward.
He made an online video about a recent crime involving what he says is a 19th ward business owner accused of raping two children.
In July, Taha Alashwal was arraigned on charges he had sexual contact with a 14-year-old in Henrietta and a 15-year-old in the Syracuse area. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
"I feel that I have a responsibility, but more so the community as a whole have a responsibility to make sure that this does not happen to our children," said Ptah.
Ptah is inviting people to take the pledge online at his Facebook page.