A Greenwood community activist with a long history of working with at-risk youth is asking for the city’s support to help reduce violent crime.
“We’re here again. We’ve been facing some tough times here over the years, and we’ve been coming up with solutions, and we’re going to work closely with you all,” Shun Pearson said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Late last month, six homicides occurred in Leflore County within a six-day period, prompting the City Council to declare a state of emergency to deal with gun violence.
Pearson and other community activists say the best way to curb gun violence over the long term is by providing recreational activities for youth and teaching them character-building traits.
“Those are some of the type of things that we want to do to fight crime. We’re not in a position to take a gun out of someone’s hands,” he said.
Pearson said that throughout this year, through a partnership with Leflore Legacy Academy, he taught at-risk youth how to use conflict resolution skills and manage behavior on social media.
Pearson told council members that he met Monday with various community leaders, including Bill Clay of the Greenwood Mentoring Group, Larry “Kite” Johnson of the Greenwood Community & Recreation Center and Charles Cooley, who runs a youth basketball league, to determine what can be done to curb gun violence.
He said it was established in that meeting that all of these organizations needed the support of the city in order to continue carrying out their missions.
Pearson said he has also been in talks with Police Chief Terrence Craft, and Pearson wants to gather all of these community groups into a coalition in order to tackle gun violence.
Pearson said he’d reach out to city leaders following the results of the June 8 municipal election to follow up on how the city can assist with these solutions.
Mayor Carolyn McAdams — who is running for reelection and will face independent candidate Nathan Wright and Democrat Kenderick Cox — was receptive to Pearson’s idea.
“You have those proven leadership skills with the parents and the students, and that’s tremendous,” she said.
She added that if the community organizations work together to tackle the issue, it should make “a tremendous difference.”
Greenwood Police Chief Terrence Craft speaks to the City Council Tuesday. (By Gerard Edic)
Also at the meeting, Craft said extra patrols out on the streets over the Memorial Day weekend, with assistance from outside agencies, led to numerous arrests and the confiscation of eight guns.
He said his department is in the process of hiring three more officers.
McAdams asked Craft what has been the department’s biggest issue with the applicants who are not hired. Craft said that in many cases, it is either a lack of education or a criminal record, such as a domestic violence offense, that eliminates them.
Craft added that difficulty recruiting officers is a problem throughout the country.
From left, Erin Mulligan, executive director of ArtPlace Mississippi, John Beard of Beard + Riser Architects and Brantley Snipes, executive director of Main Street Greenwood, update the Greenwood City Council Tuesday on an ArtPlace feasibility study. (By Gerard Edic)
In other business:
- Council members heard from Erin Mulligan, executive director of ArtPlace Mississippi, Brantley Snipes, executive director of Main Street Greenwood, and John Beard of Beard + Riser Architects regarding a feasibility study on the possible expansion and redevelopment of ArtPlace’s building at 212 W. Washington St.
Currently, only a small portion of the building is used for art classes as well as office space for its staff.
The study, completed by Beard + Riser, looked at the shape of the structure, which was built in the 1950s, to see whether it could be altered to take better advantage of more space, Beard said.
Such a redevelopment would cost $5.5 million to $6.5 million, and there are still many unknown factors, he said.
Asbestos removal also would present a challenge.
A redevelopment of the structure would allow ArtPlace to include a commercial kitchen, a convention space, a performance venue and retail venues for art galleries, Mulligan said.
The next step for a possible redevelopment of ArtPlace’s structure would be to apply for grants and historic tax credits and ask the city and county for assistance by having them apply for matching grants, Mulligan said.
- The council approved a resolution to sell a city-owned parcel of property previously used by Greenwood Utilities to Express Grain Terminals LLC for $1.
Greenwood Utilities previously operated a generating plant on River Road Extended that is no longer functional, said Brian Finnegan, the city-owned utility’s CEO. Finnegan said he offered John Coleman, president of Express Grain, ownership of the property if Express Grain agreed to pay to have the old generating plant demolished. Express Grain has agreed.
McAdams said the move allows for another potential Express Grain expansion. Ronnie Stevenson, the council president, noted that selling the property also would put it on the tax rolls.
Ward 1’s Johnny Jennings and Ward 2’s Lisa Cookston were absent from the meeting.
- Contact Gerard Edic at 581-7239 or gedic@gwcommonwealth.com.
