WATERLOO - Antonio Moore, a 19-year-old who was shot at during a recent string of violence, doesn't think there's much the community can do to make neighborhoods safe.

Some kids will just do what they want, the teenager said.

Moore, whose windshield was shot but who wasn't hit by a bullet, and his 16-year-old brother, Jerrone Mabry, spoke briefly during a Thursday night meeting to discuss the outbreak of shootings over past weeks.

Since the beginning of July, six people have gone to the hospital with bullet wounds.

And residents gathered at City Hall's council chambers Thursday to discuss the violence and talk about solutions in a brainstorming session that spilled into an adjacent meeting room.

"I'm hopeful because we had a group of people there who usually aren't at the table," said the Rev. Belinda Creighton-Smith of Faith Temple Church, who brought the two youths.

"It says folks are concerned. We're all impacted by this," she said.

Mabry said there is a misconception everyone involved in the violence has gang connections.

He said sometimes people assume someone is in a gang because they have a friend or relative in a gang.

Police Chief Tom Jennings reiterated his call for witnesses to the violence to come forward so officers can build cases against the shooters.

"We need to work together, and more cops alone isn't going to fix that," Jennings said.

He said there have been about 18 incidents since July 1.

In response to the shootings, the police department has increased its patrol force and doubled the size of the Citizens Response Unit.

That unit is a group of officers assigned to build their own cases in trouble spots.

Police have made five arrests in connection with the attacks, and searched 10 homes that resulted in the seizure of firearms.

Attendees said they want to offer mentoring for parents and youth, tap into psychology and social work programs at local universities for help, put together a catalog of social service resources and set up an internet bulletin board to allow free discussion of issues.

Perry Goodman, the city's neighborhood services coordinator, said the next step is to come up with ways to put the goals into action.

An earlier meeting between members of neighborhood associations in the troubled areas produced a list of five goals, said Mary Potter with the Church Row Neighborhood Association.

The goals include implementing zero tolerance for infractions; streamlining communication between the police, drug task force and code enforcement; establishing a 10 p.m. curfew for minors; taking steps to increase landlord responsibility; and increasing parental responsibility.

"If the kids are in trouble, so are you," Potter said.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.