FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) – The Fort Wayne City Council meeting Tuesday will be dedicated to the topic of dealing with the violence plaguing the city.

The Journal Gazette reports that 38 deaths in Fort Wayne and Allen County have been ruled homicides so far this year, which eight more than last year and a 15-year high.

Urban League President Jonathan Ray says the council decided to hold the meeting after reading about a plan a group of Fort Wayne residents created in response to the violence. Building Bridges to a Better Community recommends improving communication between police and residents, improving preschool education, increasing mentoring opportunities, training for better jobs and seeks to fix problems that lead to violence, such as unemployment.

Ray says the plan's success will be tracked through data on crime, education, employment, parents' involvement in their children's lives, poverty and access to mental and physical health services.

The meeting will take place at 5:30 P.M. in room 030 at Citizens Square.