Police Chief Bobby Bell’s effort to start a mentoring program for young men in Brookhaven is commendable.

Bell hopes to implement a “brothers taking care of brothers” system where teenagers can mentor younger children. His goal is to prevent the kind of violence that traps so many of today’s youth.

“All over the U.S., and in Brookhaven, we are losing young men to violent crimes,” Bell said. “Over the years with some of the things I’ve seen, it’s not something I want them to see or experience.”

Bell’s group met with students at Brookhaven High School earlier this month, and there are plans to continue the meetings once school is back in session. The meeting focused on leadership skills and summer safety.

Future meetings will focus on other topics, including violence, respect toward elders, how to treat women and how to achieve academic success.

This effort is worthy of the community’s support. Too often, people are quick to complain about a problem but slow to work to fix it. Bell and his group are doing more than just pointing out the ills of society. They are working to address them.

Bell said his motivation for the program comes from a scene he has witnessed too often.

“I’ve seen a boy I’ve talked to before, lying on the ground asking ‘please don’t let me die.’ There’s nothing I can do but lie and say you’re going to be alright,” Bell said. “I’ve been put in that situation too many times. I want to be able to go home and go to sleep at night knowing they know what it takes to be safe.”

We thank Bell for spearheading this effort, and we encourage the community to get behind the program and offer support.