- Wednesday was Jackson's third Summit to Reduce Violence, featuring keynote speaker, David Kennedy from the National Network for Safe Communities.
- Kennedy shared that since the city partnered with the National Network for Safe Communities for the Group Violence Intervention program in 2021, the city has seen about a 75% reduction in gun violence.
- Video shows various panels of local leaders, students, and law enforcement talking about issues surrounding violence, particularly gun violence.
At the third annual Summit to Reduce Violence, youth spoke about what they've seen in the city, some sharing their own experiences related to gun violence. The issue of gun violence is something local leaders and law enforcement are continuing the work to put an end to.
Elmer Hitt, Director of Police and Fire Services, said, "Violence in general, but certainly gun violence, especially in our community, is prevalent. It's here and we can't hide it."
The search for those solutions started a few years ago. In 2021, the City of Jackson implemented a Group Violence Intervention (GVI) program through the National Network for Safe Communities. Keynote speaker at the event and co-founder of the organization, David Kennedy, stated that gun violence in Jackson has since gone down about 75%.
However, Wednesday's discussion showed there's still work to be done. Jackson High School Senior, Darrion Weller, said, "We don't have a lot of events like this." He continued by saying that events like the Summit to Reduce Violence are what Jackson needs to help solve that issue and take action.
All stats were listed at the Summit to Reduce Gun Violence.
Law enforcement responded with their thoughts on how they can take steps in the right direction. Hitt shared, "It really got me thinking... Is there something differently that we can do to encourage people to share information, so we can go out and share the GVI message?" Hopefully by doing so, it will ultimately make Jackson a safer place for its neighbors.
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