The Department of Justice (DOJ) and local leaders in West Tennessee are working together in order to reduce violent crime, according to a release from the DOJ.
United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., joined by nonprofit organizations, clergy leaders, and other community leaders, announced a new “Better Community Summit” effort to tackle the crimes.
The meeting, which will take place on June 4, will discuss domestic violence prevention, gang talk, community conflict resolution, and de-escalation training.
“To achieve this goal, the Department has directed every U.S. Attorney’s Office to formulate a strategic plan designed to reduce violent crime. To that end, our office convened meetings with over 40 clergy leaders across the greater Memphis area to discuss violent crime and recommend possible solutions,” the press release explained.
The summits will continue quarterly and be held in the areas of Whitehaven/Westwood and Hickory Hill/East Memphis.
“This is not political, it’s biblical,” said Pastor Ricky Foy at a press conference. “This is a unified group of people who are really concerned about our community.”
The planned summit in Memphis is one of several programs launched by the Department of Justice in recent weeks to address violent crime.
For example, in Minnesota, violent crime continues to impact the Twin Cities. Therefore, the DOJ pledged to hire more prosecutors and allow all existing prosecutors to take on violent crime cases.
“This new strategy is designed to bring swift justice to our communities and to the victims of violent crimes. But it is also designed as a signal to violent offenders to stop. This violence cannot continue – it is causing far too much fear, too much pain and too much heartbreak for families and our community,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Joseph C. Murphy Jr.” by United States Department of Justice. Background Photo “U.S. Department of Justice” by Coolcaesar. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Maybe the people pushing these initiatives should take the show on the road to Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington!!!