QUITMAN, Ga. (WALB) – According to the city of Quitman in 2024, the majority of the calls to law enforcement have involved activity with a juvenile causing community leaders to be concerned about gang violence, gun violence and how it is impacting the community.Lawrence McGee, the Quitman director of juvenile compliance, is building community partnerships with educators, parents and other community members to involve them in “Crime Hall” meetings that will educate them on how to engage in positive communication and build partnerships that will support education and learning.“The parents and the students we serve are in the community, so if we separate the community and school, then we hit a wall,” Lamar Thomas, the principal of Delta Innovative School (DIS), said.He said with the 100-plus students at DIS in Brooks County, roughly 5% have direct behavioral issues but the impact is greater outside of the school.“It creates a large perspective, but it’s really just a small group that we need to attack and try to understand that student,” Thomas said.McGee said the issues with gang activity, sometimes called “clique activity” in smaller areas, come from the recruitment of young kids.″Once that juvenile gets recruited, he ends up recruiting other juveniles, so that’s how a lot of stuff is formed. A lot of the surrounding bigger towns has an effect on the smaller towns,” McGee said.Through the crime hall meetings, McGee wants to educate the community to:Learn about the latest treats and threats to juveniles.Understand warning signs and how identity if your child or a love one is at risk.Gain practical tips on prevention and how to engage in positive conversations with youth.Hear firsthand from local law enforcement, community leaders, and child safety experts.Participate in a Q & A session to have concerns addressed.”Crime Hall” meeting set to address youth violence like gangs, guns, and drugs.(Source: WALB)“That pride that we used to talk about in Brooks County. I was a former football player so we were big on that. We have to bring back the pride of the city,” McGee said.The “Crime Hall” meeting will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Event Center at 400 S. Court St. in Quitman at noon.More on this story{
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}According to the city of Quitman in 2024, the majority of the calls to law enforcement involved activity with a juvenileHave a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.Copyright 2024 WALB. All rights reserved.