Macon-Bibb County has hired Jeremy Grissom to be its first Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) Coordinator, tasked with overseeing the numerous programs and efforts being undertaken to reduce and prevent violent crime in the community. 

 “This is a dream job…nobody would turn down an opportunity to do this much good in their community,” says Grissom. “This is our chance to make sure every MVP program is fully supported, that each has the resources needed to make a difference, and that the community knows what is being done to decrease violence.”  

“Improving public safety is the top priority for our community, and I’m reminded of that time and time again when talking to people,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “I’m proud of our community stepping forward to come up with programs, efforts, and ways to reduce violence…to be part of this team effort…and I’m excited Jeremy is coming on board to help coordinate it all and make sure we are making a positive difference.”  

Grissom comes to the MVP program with years of public safety experience, working with people who had already become part of the judicial system. He’s worked in corrections in Chatham County helping people be ready to be good citizens when released, with probations and parole, and even as a criminal investigator for the state. It’s those experiences, working with people who already had gone down a negative path, that made him want to get involved with people before they turned to crime.  

“I saw the reality of the suffering that occurs to people and families when there is a lack of resources and support. Too often, our society doesn’t recognize or address an issue until it’s too late, but with MVP, we can stop the issue before it begins,” says Grissom. “I’m looking forward to bringing all of the people and groups together, expanding their reach, and having MVP make a huge, positive, and long-lasting impact on our community.”  

The MVP Coordinator will be responsible for: 

• Tracking all existing MVP programs, identifying gaps in service, and maintaining a database of program results and evaluations.  
• Facilitating collaboration among the MVP Leadership Team, including scheduling meetings, distributing materials, and providing up-to-date information regarding MVP activities.  
• Assisting MVP grantees in identifying other potential grant opportunities and funding to aid in sustainability of effective programs.  
• Facilitating communication among all MVP partners, including grantees, to reduce duplication of services and encourage collaboration wherever possible.  
• Designing and implementing program review criteria for the overall MVP program and for individual community-based programs and initiatives.  

• Coordinating MVP volunteers and directing them to participating organizations. 
• Reporting regularly to the Mayor and Commission regarding program effectiveness, including making recommendations regarding potential improvements.  
• Creating and implementing a plan for the sustainability of the MVP program. 

“We’re going to ensure MVP is a coordinated, collaborative effort to make sure we are meeting our community’s needs and making it a safer place,” says Grissom, adding that this work will take more than him, the government, and the partner organizations. “I want to ask people, ‘What are YOU going to do about the violence in our community? It’s not just law enforcement’s job to make our community safer…it’s something we all must to work toward together.” 

About Macon Violence Prevention 

MVP was announced on June 10, 2021, at a press conference that included hundreds of people supporting the need for a community-wide, multi-faceted strategy to reduce violence and improve public safety. 

“We all know someone whose family has been directly affected by violent crime. Every story we read and every statistic we hear is someone’s child, someone’s brother or sister, or someone’s mother, father, or friend,” Mayor Miller said at the announcement. “This is personal, and it impacts every single one of us. And it will take each one of us giving and doing more to fix the problem.” 

In the weeks following, more than 1,100 people came out to 14 public forums and more than 700 surveys were submitted online, all letting Macon-Bibb and its partners know of the issues families and neighborhoods were facing. Participants also talked about resources and strategies for addressing those issues. The MVP Leadership Team held a day-long retreat to use the information to identify the goals and strategies that the community said would reduce violence. 

The MVP Strategic Plan was developed using the community’s feedback and was published on December 8, 2021.  It is the guiding document for agencies and community organizations to apply for grants that will fund programs and initiatives that will reduce violence. The granting program will run through the Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCGA). 

 “Our MVP Strategic Plan is being built by people in our neighborhoods, by our community organizations, and by our departments and agencies…it’s being built from the ground up so that we can provide the resources where they are most needed and to ensure they will have a lasting impact,” says Mayor Miller. “We can only solve this together.”