Victim’s Family Outraged On Claims Worcester Bench Fuels Gang Crime

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Candles set up at the memorial bench, photo courtesy of Niki Winfield

After hearing claims that her son’s bench may be the cause of an uptick in gang related crimes at University Park and that there may have been discussions about potentially removing the bench, Niki Winfield was outraged.

After the bench was dedicated to her son Juan Shippee – who passed away on December 31, 2009 from Hemolytic Anemia, a condition that he was born with that shortens the normal lifespan of the body’s red blood cells – Winfield says that the community has been nothing but supportive, continually gathering around the bench to pay their respects to someone who was taken far too soon.

“My son was about peace, not about starting trouble,” said Winfield. “All he ever wanted to do was play basketball; that’s why the bench was put in that park. People gather around that bench to pay respects for my son on his birthday and on the day he passed. I’m just flustered; how can you blame a bench for crime when it is in a park that has been known for violence long before it was even put in?”

Winfield is currently working to set up a candlelit vigil in honor of her son at the bench.

A Family in Support

Juan’s family immediately came to his support after hearing of the claims, citing that while Juan may have known gang members, he knew everyone in the community and treated them with respect, whether on a good path or not.

While potentially gang related crime may be seeing an uptick in the Main South area – particularly near University Park – the violence certainly has nothing to do with the memorial bench.

“It’s the summer time; everyone knew it was going to get a little hectic around here,” said Alexia Shippee-Winfield, Juan’s sister. “My brother was never a part of a gang. He played basketball in that park; he was friends with everyone. When he passed, everyone came together and threw fundraising parties; that is how much everyone respected him.”

Much More Than A Bench

Juan Shippee, photo courtesy of Niki Winfield

While citizens of Worcester and beyond consistently come to pay their respects to the bench in honor of Juan, the bench has taken on a much more personal meaning to the family.

Juan spent a lot of time in the park, constantly playing basketball, which is why the bench came to University Park. After choosing to cremate their son, the family elected to pour some of Juan’s ashes into the hole of the bench post, making the bench a much more powerful place for family members to visit.

“To hear that someone would want this bench removed really hurts,” said Chris Winfield, Juan’s father. “We had him cremated and when the bench was being put in the park, we put some of his ashes in the hole for the bench post. This is not just a memorial; this is a grave.”

A Connected Community

To fund the bench – which cost around $2,000 – members of Juan’s family, as well as friends and other community members came together to help raise funds for the bench, knowing that it could be a symbol of inspiration and hope to members of the Main South community.

Seeing an outpouring of support for Juan, members of his family find it hard to believe that anyone would be able to say that the bench could be a place of contention. Juan’s family and friends hope that the bench is here to stay forever, as it shows the power of a community – one typically viewed on the outside as crime riddled - coming together for a greater good.

Juan's family gathers at the memorial bench, courtesy Niki Winfield

“I personally put a lot of effort into making sure that we raised enough money for that bench,” said Chracks Royalty, a local rapper and Juan’s brother. “We put on a bunch of shows where people would come and buy bracelets and other things to help pay for the bench and to remember Juan. We want his name to live on forever.”

Crime on the Rise, Bench Not to Blame

Residents of Main South will be the first to tell you that the area is not perfect; crime certainly has been a problem in the community.

While the summer has seen an uptick in gang related activities, those who work with and have spoken with gang affiliated youth in Main South say that the bench has never come up as a point of contention. If anything, there is a sense of respect for the bench, even by gang members.

“In the past few years some of the rival gangs in Worcester have become more intense with their violent interactions but to say that a memorial bench is even remotely to blame is ridiculous,” said Robert Gibbs, a long time resident of Main South who knew Juan and works with local youth. “I know a lot of the younger guys in the community from my job and no one even mentions that bench as a point of contention or as a gang related symbol.”

Related Slideshow: Worcester’s Most Dangerous Neighborhoods

Neighborhood search website Neighborhood Scout indexed violent and property crimes data from the Federal Bureau of Investigations to determine the crime rates on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis in Worcester. The slides below show the overall crime index (a score of 100 is best) as well as the per capita crime rates broken down by violent and property crime. The data is sourced from 2011 figures, the most recent year available from the FBI. The online resource is created by Location, Inc., a Worcester-area company that bills itself as a leader of location-based data and risk analysis information.

Victim’s Family Outraged On Claims Worcester Bench Fuels Gang Crime

Related Slideshow: Worcester’s Most Dangerous Neighborhoods

38. Heard Street

Crime Index: 83 (100 is safest)

37. Main St / Goddard Memorial Dr

Crime Index: 73 (100 is safest)

36. Westchester / Assumption

Crime Index: 70 (100 is safest)

35 (tie). Mill St / Worcester State U

Crime Index: 67 (100 is safest)

35 (tie). Oakland Heights / Massasoit

Crime Index: 67 (100 is safest)

33 (tie). Jamesville / Ludlow

Crime Index: 65 (100 is safest)

33 (tie). Burncoat

Crime Index: 65 (100 is safest)

31. Chadwick Square

Crime Index: 61 (100 is safest)

30. Sunderland

Crime Index: 60 (100 is safest)

29. Webster Square

Crime Index: 59 (100 is safest)

28. Westwood Hills

Crime Index: 57 (100 is safest)

27. North Worcester / Summit

Crime Index: 55 (100 is safest)

26. Pleasant St.

Crime Index: 48 (100 is safest)

25 (tie). Greendale

Crime Index: 47 (100 is safest)

25 (tie). Bloomingdale

Crime Index: 47 (100 is safest)

23. Clark U / Main St

Crime Index: 46 (100 is safest)

22. Tatnuck / West Tatnuck

Crime Index: 45 (100 is safest)

21. Lakeview

Crime Index: 43 (100 is safest)

20. Holy Cross / College St

Crime Index: 39 (100 is safest)

19 (tie). Columbus Park

Crime Index: 37 (100 is safest)

19 (tie). Hamilton

Crime Index: 37 (100 is safest)

17. Brittan Square

Crime Index: 34 (100 is safest)

16. Pinecrest

Crime Index: 33 (100 is safest)

Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 5.65

15 (tie). City Center

Crime Index: 29 (100 is safest)

Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 16.8

15 (tie). South Worcester

Crime Index: 29 (100 is safest)

13. Beaver Brook

Crime Index: 28 (100 is safest)

12 (tie). Swan Avenue

Crime Index: 24 (100 is safest)

12 (tie). June Street

Crime Index: 24 (100 is safest)

10 (tie). University Park

Crime Index: 20 (100 is safest)

10 (tie). Quinsigamond Village / College Hill

Crime Index: 20 (100 is safest)

8 (tie). Umass Medical / Lake Ave N

Crime Index: 16 (100 is safest)

8 (tie). Water St / Grafton St

Crime Index: 16 (100 is safest)

6 (tie). Beverly Road

Crime Index: 15 (100 is safest)

6 (tie). WPI / Highland St

Crime Index: 15 (100 is safest)

4. Oak Hill

Crime Index: 13 (100 is safest)

3. Belmont Hill / Shrewsbury St

Crime Index: 8 (100 is safest)

2. Chandler Hill

Crime Index: 6 (100 is safest)

1. Great Brook Valley

Crime Index: 4 (100 is safest)