At its meeting on February 15, the Mayor approved the Mayor and a selection committee’s recommendation to five organizations to put violence interrupter programs in place as part of the Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) initiative. 

“This is another way in which we want to stop violent crimes before it happens,” says Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller. “Improving public safety in our community requires us working together as a team in all areas, and we’re bringing neighborhood and community groups to the table to help us.” 

“Grassroots programs are really helping out in our neighborhoods where we can, and with Macon-Bibb’s support, we can reach even more people and have much more of a positive impact on our children’s lives,” says Roger Jackson, Founder and Executive Director of the Motivating Youth Foundation. “We’ll be able to provide more people the support they need, help more people be ready for jobs and careers, work with more companies to hire these people, and ultimately reduce crime.”

Approximately $1.65 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds were approved for five organizations based on the proposals, plans, and accountability measures they submitted: Motivating Youth Foundation, Community Empowerment Center, Lois’ Kids, Royal Science, and One World Link. The groups will put in programs for youth education and training, gang violence reduction efforts, youth mentoring programs, job trainings, mental health services, life skills training, parental support, crisis support, and more. 

“In addition to funding for public safety officer retention and technology, we need to take whatever steps are needed to prevent crime before it happens. We must have a proactive approach to protecting our neighborhoods,” says Mayor Miller. “Between these violence interrupters, Macon Mental Health Matters, the Blight Fight, and other programs, we are working hard to make sure we are supporting people and neighborhoods.” 

About Macon Violence Prevention 

Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) was announced as a new initiative on June 10 and included hundreds of people supporting the need for a community-wide, multi-faceted strategy to reduce violence and improve public safety. 

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 Strategic Plan was announced in December and is the guiding document for the work of departments, agencies, and organizations working together to reach people and help reduce crime. It is also the basis for more than $2 million in grant funds through the Community Foundation of Central Georgia that neighborhood and community organizations can soon apply for to put proven and innovative programs in place to help people. 

“These neighborhoods, the ones that most need us…the ones where people pleaded with me the loudest for help…these are the neighborhoods I grew up in,” the Mayor said when the Strategic Plan was announced. “I’m not taking on this fight because someone told me it’s important or because it’s the politically expedient thing to say or do. I’m fighting for my home.” 

Improving public safety was the top issue identified by the Mayor’s Transition Team in the fall and winter of 2020 based on multiple forums and surveys, which is why it has been a top priority of his administration. Steps were taken in the first month to begin addressing root causes of violent crime, and new efforts have been launched and funded consistently since then. These include: 

• Launching Macon Mental Health Matters, which is providing free mental health support resources in neighborhoods. 
• Starting the Blight Fight effort, which has removed more than 80 dangerous structures that attract crime from neighborhoods. 
• Engaging the departments, partners, and neighbors in Clean Streets Matter, which has led to millions of pounds of debris and hundreds of illegal dumps from our streets. 
• Opening the Brookdale Resource Center for people experiencing homelessness or who do not have adequate housing and has led to people gaining permanent housing and jobs. 
• Asking and getting the Commission to approve $40 million in incentives to retain experienced public safety officers. 
• Investing in new public safety technology. 
• Supporting the District Attorney’s RISE initiative. 
• Strengthening Code Enforcement with more resources and officers. 
• Raising the minimum wage for employees. 
• Providing $2 million for violence interrupters. 
• Appropriating $2.5 million for organizations to put programs in place to help reach the goals outlined in the community-driven Strategic Plan.