The St. Petersburg Police Department is working to prevent youth violence by strengthening relationships in the Jordan Park community. Youth Champions was made possible with a $35,000 grant from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Cabretti Wheeler Jr. has been attending Youth Champions since it started in February. “It's not a judgmental place. I can just talk out loud, like if I say something nobody is going to laugh at me. They're going to actually hear me out and make me feel seen,” Wheeler said. His father was murdered in 2008. Since then, his family has worked to reduce crime in St. Pete. He said his father would be so proud of what they've accomplished. This program works to help kids control their emotions to make positive choices. “Over the last several weeks we have talked about some of the things that may have felt hard or had been challenges for the young people, so the exercise today is to honor that those things happened and find strength from those things,” Russia Collins L.M.H.S. said. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/st-pete-police-youth-crime-prevention/67-3e216dce-4028-4bf7-b697-683ec4d16db3