Macon, Ga (WGXA) – Following a recent spike in violent crime, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is expanding one prevention program and relaunching another in an effort to curb violence and strengthen community partnerships.
The announcement was made Wednesday at the Bibb County Sheriff’s Outreach and Restorative Justice Center. Despite several recent shootings, David Davis said overall crime in Macon-Bibb remains down in certain categories.
“Except for some of the murders and aggravated assaults — we’re working on that,” Davis said. The sheriff’s office is extending its PROP program — Providing Resources and Opportunities for Progress — by adding a four-day series of specialized conferences. The sessions are designed to help participants with anger management, improve communication skills, and strengthen family and community relationships.
However, Davis said before the recent uptick in violence, some were quick to credit various initiatives for lower crime rates. “When things were good and crime was down, you had a lot of people patting themselves on the back — ‘Oh Lord, this program, that program, we’ve solved crime, crime is down,'” Davis said.
He emphasized that he is not dismissing the impact of community programs but said responsibility must be shared.
“It frustrates me — in January and February we had an uptick in crime and violence, yet everybody looks at the sheriff’s office and says, ‘Sheriff, what are you going to do about it?’ It’s not just the sheriff’s office. It’s everybody involved.”
The program, led by Sgt. Sahkera Wooten, launched last year and has seen multiple families complete it successfully. Wooten said the expansion was already planned before the recent spike in violence, but the focus now is on making it more personal through partnerships with several organizations, including the Family Counseling Center.
“Rather than reacting after the problem has occurred, we want to teach people how to be preventative and learn different skill-building techniques,” Wooten said.
The sheriff’s office is also relaunching the Concord Project Ride-Along, which will allow community and church leaders to work more closely with deputies in an effort to bridge gaps between law enforcement and residents.
Pastor Christopher Cabiness said underlying social conditions continue to fuel issues involving teens.
“Literally, a lot of times we are judging them. What we must fully understand is we cannot judge them when we look at their options,” Cabiness said. “A lot of times their options literally push them off the pathway of what is right. Poverty, as well as public health, are among the challenges causing much of the violence we see.”
Dan Sims, superintendent of the Bibb County School District, said the school system is also seeing concerning behaviors among students.
“Disorderly conduct, instability, fighting,” Sims said. Still, Sims said one common theme stands out when he visits schools across the district.
“They just want to be heard, want to be loved, want to be pushed by somebody who cares for them.”
The sheriff’s office says both programs are aimed at prevention, intervention, and long-term community engagement as Macon-Bibb works to address recent violence while maintaining overall reductions in certain crime categories.
