Before a Commission meeting on Tuesday, February 15, Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) leaders and partners gave Commissioners and the public an update on the initiative.
Since the announcement of the initiative on June 10, there have been 14 public forums held with 1,100 people in attendance and 700 online surveys submitted. Leaders took the feedback and data to create the initiative’s strategic plan.
Part of the plan includes the Macon Mental Health Matters (MMHM) initiative. Andrea Cooke, who is spearheading MMHM spoke to Commissioners on Tuesday.
“We have worked and planned and implemented to give our community a service that we would expect for ourselves,” said Cooke. “We love this because the work that we have done not only impacts our clients, but it impacts every individual that our clients touch. It’s helpful to remember that there is no health without mental health.”
Since the start of MMHM in February 2021, the group has taken 2,904 calls, 604 individuals and families have been served, and 2,192 hours of direct therapy was provided.
The Sheriff’s Office also provided an update, providing data comparing the years 2021 and 2020. The calls for service dropped by 12% in 2021, compared to 2020.
The Sheriff’s Office is also working to get ShotSpotter going. They will have 135 sensors strategically placed throughout our County, which will detect when a gun goes off. This will allow officers to know exactly where the gunshots came from and to respond quicker to the area. At this point, the Sheriff’s Office is 90% complete with the installation, and training is already underway. They are hoping to have ShotSpotter to go live by the end of the month.
The Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCG) also gave an update, focusing on the MVP Grant Program. More than $2 million is being made available for local non-profits and faith-based organizations to apply for to implement a programs or initiatives that will help prevent and reduce violent crime. Grants will be awarded to programs that align with the goals of the MVP Strategic Plan since it was developed based on what people in neighborhoods said they needed to be safer.
“If an individual has a great idea to reduce violent crime in their neighborhood, we also encourage them and suggest finding a non-profit or faith-based organization to partner with,” said CFCG Program Officer Darius Maynard.
The CFCG will hold orientations to inform people how to apply for grants properly before the applications go live. This way, everyone has an equal opportunity to make a difference in our community.