Citizens propose anti-crime measures

The president of the Tallahassee chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, The Rev. Joseph T. Wright, sent four community officials a list of recommendations for how best to prevent and reduce crime in Tallahassee. Wright said he was part of a group of seven people who came up with recommendations as a result of an Aug. 24 meeting at Bethel Baptist Church. That meeting was called in response to two fatal shootings Aug. 20 at a city hotel.

The seven recommendations were mailed Tuesday to Tallahassee Police Chief Dennis Jones, Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, Leon County Schools Superintendent Jackie Pons, and County Commissioner Bill Proctor.

Commissioner Proctor’s office released a statement in response to the recommendations:

“The SCLC has brought forward a timely and interesting proposal for the leadership of our community to contemplate. It is time for policymakers to take seriously and give open consideration to this community request submitted to us now. I am ready to move forward and examine the possibilities of what we can do to reasonable address the concerns presented.”

Officer David McCranie, spokesman for the Tallahassee Police Department, said the recommendations represent the way communities solve problems — collectively. “These are very good ideas. We are not going to be able to solve crime by ourselves.”

Community Recommendations

1. Creating a Safe City Strike Force of city police and code enforcement charged with confiscating properties seized in drug crimes and using the funds to provide housing for the homeless;
2. Requesting that judges uphold the 10, 20, to Life Law without compromise;
3. Appointing zone coordinators to community districts where block leaders can help to report suspicious activities;
4. Establishing a 10 p.m. curfew for youth under 17 for three years and fining violators;
5. Asking that the Leon County School District change its daily school schedule from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
6. Requiring all businesses close no later than 1 a.m.;
7. Developing a buddy system for college students and an electronic safety device that students can use to contact law enforcement in emergency situations.

Read the full article: Citizens propose anti-crime measures | tallahassee.com | Tallahassee Democrat. By Davi Saez.