City and community meet to curb gun violence
Jun. 18—HENDERSON — The City Council’s Public Safety Committee met on Wednesday to discuss the issue of gun violence in Henderson and how the city government could curb it.
“We have a lot of concerned citizens about the gun violence that’s been going on, here,” Mayor Pro Tem Sara Coffey said, “as certainly we are.”
The Police Department is understaffed, Assistant Chief Vance Johnson said at the meeting. At any given time, he said, four to five officers are on duty to answer emergency calls, of which there are on average 102 per day.
“I think, something to take to heart here, is that we’re not gonna arrest our way out of this situation,” Johnson said.
“I do like that prevention talk. Because I will take money and more officers, no doubt. Because we need them, you know, we do need them, but we also gotta look at something to solve this before it gets to us. Once it gets to us, it’s way too late.”
Johnson said the city should look at “unemployment, underemployment, the education” and the “drug problem” present in Henderson.
One citizen in attendance, Abdul Rasheed, said that he and lawyer friends of his brainstormed some solutions at the local level to curb gun violence.
“This community could pass a resolution declaring gun violence a public health issue,” Rasheed said.
He noted that he “fully” supported the Second Amendment.
Rasheed lost his son, Samir Rasheed, to gun violence in 2004. He said that he appeared before the committee as a victim of gun violence as well as a citizen of Henderson.
A community forum is coming up on gun violence, for community leaders and stakeholders to brainstorm ways to combat the said issue. A panel of 10 representatives from the city, police department, clergy and other offices will lead the forum. Youth Services Outreach Administrator Shantel Hargove organized the event alongside Melissa Maloko, an employee at the state’s Department of Public Safety.
The planned forum comes after a shootout at the BP station at 601 W. Andrews Ave. in May. The forum has been in the works since April, Hargrove said, but the shootout “brought to light” the issue of gun violence. Hargrove said all members of the community are invited to “express concerns” and give the panel an idea of what can be done to make the community safer.
“We can’t do it without the concerns and voices of the community,” Hargrove said.
The forum will take place on June 30 at the Youth Services Building at 500 N. Beckford Drive, Suite A. The event has two time slots — light refreshments from 5:30 p.m. to 6, then the forum from 6 to 7:30. For more information, contact Hargrove at 252-430-0382.
