MACON, Ga. — Mayor Lester Miller held a press conference Wednesday morning to explain how leaders plan on cutting down on violent crime in Macon-Bibb County.
Miller, along with community leaders and organizations, first announced MVP in June as a way to improve public safety. Since then, Miller says they’ve made steps to reducing crime and blight.
Here are some of those steps:
- Approved investment of $40 million to retain experienced public safety officers
- Invested in new technology to make it easier to track violent crime and hold offenders accountable
- Authorized a Professional Services Agreement for the Macon Circuit District Attorney’s RISE initiative targeting Adverse Childhood Experiences
- Launched Clean Streets Matter, leading to nearly 20 million pounds of trash, yard waste, debris, litter, and more being picked up by crews, neighborhoods, and partners
- Funded a pay scale to retain deputies and firefighters
- Invested in Macon Mental Health Matters to provide free mental health care in key neighborhoods and fully funded River Edge Behavioral Health
- Invested in Blight Fight and eliminated 75 blighted structures between March and November
- Strengthened Code Enforcement with new funding and hired more officers
- Implemented a $15 per hour minimum wage for local government employees
- Appropriated $2.5 million for the Community Foundation of Central Georgia to fund community-based interventions to prevent violent crime
- Appropriated $2 million for violence interrupters
Miller says it’s important to “address systemic issues” such as food insecurity, substance abuse, homelessness, poverty, insufficient access to economic opportunity and quality jobs, and recidivism.
The goals in the plan are both law enforcement and community led. Here are those goals:
- Improving law enforcement-community relations
- Increasing sheriff’s patrols and fully staffing the sheriff’s department
- Implementing offender-focused and place-focused strategies to direct resources where they are most needed
- Investing in proven technologies to prevent crime and increase offender accountability
- Investing in Code Enforcement to continue and expand programs to combat blight
- Improving Macon’s education system from early childhood through adult education
- Investing in mental health resources and consumer participation
- Providing more supervised activities for youth
- Providing support, education, and accountability for parents
- Providing more resources to intervene in situations involving domestic violence
- Increasing access to transportation
The government is also providing $2.5 million to the Community Foundation of Central Georgia to support evidence-based, community-led initiatives consistent with the MVP goals. Grant applications will open after the first of the year for nonprofits and faith-based organizations to apply for money.
"The foundation is looking for proven, tried-and-true solutions and initiative methods that'll reduce crime," said president Kathryn Dennis.
“This is only the beginning of MVP,” Miller said.
For a closer look at the plan, click here.
WATCH THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE