To protect the great good being done, our people

Dear Mayor and city council members,

Many good things are happening here in Laurinburg. New businesses are coming in, property values have greatly increased, the downtown has beautiful landscaping and is clean, and many new community events are taking place and new homes are being built. The future outlook for the city is in many ways very robust. You are to be commended for helping make this possible.

However, there is a great threat to all the good being done. The prevalence of property crime and crimes of violence are an Achilles heel that can destroy all of the good taking place. Since 2012, I have been outspoken in asking for more to be done with the growing crime problem in the city. Last year, my concern grew even more when 19 rounds were shot at me and my wife on our front porch in one of the safest neighborhoods in the city.

Lately, violence has become pervasive in our town. At night gunshots are heard all over the city, and people are being shot and killed. Recently, a young woman was shot and killed in her car as well as a 14-year-old shot and an older man killed. Our mayor pro tem, who had just left the city council meeting recently, was caught in the crossfire of gangs shooting across Caledonia Road near her home. Thankfully, she drove into a driveway for protection. She saw a young man with a rifle shooting across the highway.

In times past, some in leadership became upset with me for asking for more to be done to stop the violence. According to AreaVibes, Laurinburg’s overall crime rate is 159.3% higher than the national average, the violent crime rate is 321.7% higher than the nation’s, and property crime is 128.6% higher than the national average. We now have one of the highest total crime rates in the nation when compared to all other cities that have reported crime.

Addressing this issue is vital for improving the overall safety of our city and protecting our robust growth. Many in our city feel apprehensive about going out at night. Our chief of police has done many commendable things. He has brought in much needed technology that has helped in apprehending criminals. He has a heart to see the violence and crime be dealt with. However, he and his department need assistance.

The police are understaffed. Our ratio of officers per 1,000 people is below the national average. It is very difficult to find quality people to fill these positions. With not enough officers, it has caused the city to respond reactively rather than proactively. The crime is committed and the criminal in many cases is gone by the time the police arrive. I learned in ROTC many years ago that one cannot win a defensive war.

We can only win a war when we are on the offense. We need more boots on the ground, especially in the most crime-ridden neighborhoods.

We need to consider branch offices which would be located in those hot spot areas. The housing authority has made available the annex building in Washington Park for the police and sheriff’s department to set up a branch office. A lot of the violence is taking place in that area. A couple of years ago, I had just let a bus load of children who had been to church one night off on Hall Street, which is in Washington Park. Five minutes later a thug came through and shot up the place. I received calls from terrified families. It has not changed since then.

Another option that I suggested while I was on the city housing board was to hire a security firm to come in and patrol the housing projects, where a lot of crime is occurring. I did this in another state where I was the executive director of a housing authority. In two months time, a lot of the crime and violence were cleaned up.

The housing authority has the money to do that and there are grants available for that also. The administration and board did not want to do that for fear of liability. These firms have liability insurance and are highly trained. It would provide protection for the residents of the projects and help assist the police. The residents in these projects deserve protection. To me the greatest liability is that lives can be lost if nothing is done.

Another option to provide for more boots on the ground is to get the sheriff’s department to share staff, or get the National Guard or other state law enforcement agencies to come in with extra staff.

We need to do more neighborhood watch training and set up community watch groups. We could also get community folks to serve as volunteer patrols and report crime to the police.

I am going to be working with different churches and their pastors to get them out of the four walls of their buildings and involved in the neighborhoods. Two years ago, I had a summer lunch program in the Washington Park annex building and had five retired school teachers to come in and play, do crafts and mentor the children who came. They had a great impact on these children. Our churches can get involved in doing that and reaching out into the communities. I am going to meet with pastors to solicit their ideas and help in making our community safer.

Someone said that gun control is the answer. This will have little impact on the gangs and criminals that are terrorizing our city. They have access to all kinds of illegal weapons that gun control has not stopped.

I am asking that you consider these requests. This growing violence will destroy the great good that is happening in our city if it is not proactively dealt with. Many residents, including myself, will not go out at night because of the crime and gunfire. I am concerned that at our wonderful community gatherings downtown and other community events can fall prey to a mass shooting by these thugs. It is happening all over this country.

My suggestions are offered to help not to be your adversary. You have brought about much good in Laurinburg. I want to see it grow and our people be provided with the best protection that we can offer.

Editor’s Note: The views of the author of this column do not necessarily reflect the views of The Laurinburg Exchange.