Lowndes County officials host 2nd Crime Prevention Task Force meeting

COLUMBUS, MS – Lowndes County officials met today at the emergency management office for their 2nd crime prevention stakeholders meeting.

Representatives included individuals from education, law enforcement, community counseling, and mental health sectors. The first meeting was an initial meeting with different stakeholders discussing their area of expertise, while this meeting saw individuals bringing in additional information and data to identify some of the issues in the community, while looking at how these officials want to move forward with the program. Lowndes County District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks led the presentation.

“We’ve got a list of issues that we’ve got to narrow down,” said Brooks. “We’re not trying to save the world. And when you start talking about the problems in the community, they seem massive, but you’ve got to start somewhere. And so, this is the beginning of that somewhere, and hopefully where we end up is helping people.”

One of the talking points from the meetings involved preventing juvenile crime and finding positive outlets for the youth.

“A lot of young people committing criminal acts, is that in many instances, they’re not getting full support from the parents,” said Brooks. “In some instances, parents will help facilitate criminal action. So, we want to bring parents to the table. What are some of the challenges you’re having with children, and how can we help? What kind of environment should we create in a community?”

The crime prevention force will be a volunteer program, as the next steps also include advertisements for recruiting more members.