MACON, Ga. — Macon's Violence Prevention Program coordinator marked his first day on the job Monday, and he says he hit the ground running.
Jeremy Grissom has an extensive law enforcement background. In his time working in corrections, he's seen what works, what doesn't work and everything in between.
First days are usually rough, but Jeremy Grissom says on his first day at the Macon-Bibb County Government Center, he got right to work.
"Reviewing proposals and getting the information from some of the organizations, getting up to speed on what's taken place thus far," he said.
Grissom is an Atlanta native, but his wife is from Central Georgia. He says through his visits, he's seen a need in Macon.
"We were already kind of doing this in other places," Grissom explained. "I saw the need for the community and it was really a dream job. To have the ability to do this on a collaborative level with more organizations, it was a no-brainer."
Grissom applied for the position after Mayor Lester Miller announced it in February. That's when the commission approved over $150,000 in American Rescue Plan money to cover the position for three years.
Just over two months later, Grissom started.
"I was just ready to get started, but as always, every time I walk into this building, I'm greeted with kindness. Everybody was ready to help," Grissom said.
Grissom has a hefty load of responsibilities. He needs to track all MVP programs, help find grant money and partnerships, collaborate with the leadership team and find a way to keep the program sustainable. That last one is his main goal.
"We want to make sure this thing is something that'll grow far beyond me, and continue to improve the statistics of violence in this community, that it continues to go down. And that we just make this a long term investment," Grissom said.