MACON, Ga. — Last year, Macon shattered the old homicide record with 70 homicides.
More than a dozen of those victims were teenagers. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office noticed that, too, and they want to make sure parents know they're here to help.
"It's not the one thing that spurs it. It's a combination of things," said Lt. Reginald Thomas, who oversees some of their outreach programs.
The 'it' Thomas is talking about is high-profile youth violence, like shootings and armed robberies.
"Social media, public media has a big influence on the kids today. All they see is violence. All they hear is violence," Thomas said.
The sheriff's office is trying to change that. They have free mentorship opportunities for children, teens, young adults and parents, too. One of their biggest goals is helping young people navigate complex emotions.
"A lot of these kids we're seeing now are dealing with a lot of underlying trauma that has never been addressed. And their trauma is growing up in them and it's coming out in an angry fashion," Thomas explained.
Thomas says that, paired with teens just looking for some validation, can lead to some bad outcomes.
"All kids want to be uplifted, even when they're doing wrong. You know, how do you think the gang members are so successful?" he asked. "If they go make a hit, go rob a bank, go rob a dollar store, a convenience store, when they get back, they get high-fived. They get praised. 'Let's go my boy, you did that thing.'"
His solution: 'Think and recruit like a gang leader.' He wants to make sure kids and teens get support for all the good things they do, and not just reprimanded for the bad.
"Why are we not doing that for our good kids? We've got to recruit our good kids just like the gang members are recruiting kids that are troubled," he said.
Thomas hopes with some healthy connections, they can start turning those youth violence trends around.
The Bibb County Sheriff's Office offers several outreach and education opportunities for all ages:
- National Police Athletic League (PAL): Mentorship and activities
- Explorers Program: Open to 14- to-21-year-olds exploring careers in law enforcement
- Consider the Consequences: For kids 10 to 16, gives them real-life jail experience with follow-up meetings
- C.H.A.M.P.S.: In-school classes on being successful in life, 5th and 6th grade
- Book 'Em: Delivers brand-new books to 'at-risk' Macon-Bibb children
- Citizens on Patrol: Residents who patrol Macon-Bibb to reduce community crime
To join or hear more about any of these programs, call the Bibb County Sheriff's Office Outreach Division at (478) 803-2710.