“We’re here today to take a stand…to take a stand against violence…to take a stand, linked arm-in-arm as a community, and with each other – working together to make every family and every neighborhood safer,” Mayor Miller said at a press conference on Wednesday, December 8, to announce the Macon Violence Prevention Strategic Plan, flanked by community partners, departments, and local agencies.

This Strategic Plan is the next step in engaging the community on how to best reduce violent crime. It is based on feedback from thousands of people who attended 14 forums or submitted an online survey, as well as from experts in social services, mental health, courts, law enforcements, community support agencies, and more. Even with the overwhelming amount of people identifying public safety as their top concern, the Mayor pointed out that making neighborhoods safer is something he takes very personally.

Improving public safety was the top issue identified by the Mayor’s Transition Team in the fall and winter of 2020 based on multiple forums and surveys, which is why it has been a top priority of his administration. Steps were taken in the first month to begin addressing root causes of violent crime, and new efforts have been launched and funded consistently since then.