There’s no single right answer to dealing with the rise in youth violence, Sheriff Jody greene said.
“Everyone has to work together,’ Greene said Friday.
The sheriff’s office on Thursday hosted a ‘call to action” forum featuring law enforcement, courts personnel, members of the education community, and the clergy to help identify ways to reduce violence by young people. Greene said the crowd wasn’t as large as he would have liked, “but we had some good discussions.
“There are some factors we can do nothing about, like bringing the Bible back into the classroom,” Greene said. “There are a lot of things that have to start in the home.”
Many families are not aware of the services in the county that can help prevent probe s from getting worse, Greene said.
“We have a lot of help available, but people don’t know about it or make use of it,” he explained.
Greene emphasized the need for law enforcement and parents to see each other as allies, not enemies.
“Whenever someone tells a little kid that they’re going to get the police to pick them up if they don’t behave – that’s the problem,” Greene said. “They need to see us as their friends. When youth, families and law enforcement are on the same side, we can make some progress toward solving these problems.”
In addition to representatives from the schools, courts, Teen Court and local bar, Greene said the Tabor City, Fair Bluff, Lake Waccamaw and Whiteville police sent members to the meeting. Heath Nance was there for the district attorney’s office, and Judge Quinton McGee attended, along with local attorney Boyd Worley. Jerome Chestnut, town manager for Chadbourn, attended for his town, which has been hit particularly hard over the past year with violence. Rev. Dave Heller of the Columbus Baptist Association and other faith leaders were also in attendance.
“We had a good crowd, and some good conversations,” Greene said.
Another forum is planned for this spring, Greene said.
“You hear it a lot, but our young people are the future,” Greene said. “We have to do all we can to help them.”
