MUNCIE, Ind. — Leaders in Muncie are working on a plan to reduce crime in the city.
Local officials met with law enforcement, the NAACP and school leaders on Monday to discuss a plan for the future, spending the morning getting started on a strategy to stop the violence. The meeting comes after a mass block parting shooting that left one dead and 17 injured over the summer.
“Most of in the community know each other,” said Muncie resident Teresa Long. “So for a tragedy like July to happen, it is disheartening we can’t work together to resolve issues, conflict resolution, things of that nature.”
Long, who has lived in Muncie for more than 50 years, said she hopes her community will soon be on the path toward positive change.
City officials said Monday that they all have one common goal: to crack down on violence while also bridging the relationship between the community and local leaders.
“A lot of these organizations worked independently on these issues,” said Muncie Deputy Mayor Richard Ivy. “But, they worked independently.”
Ivy said the city has been working with industry experts with experience implementing violence intervention programs. The expert is Carlton T. Mayers, II, Esq., the founder, owner, and CEO of Mayers Strategic Solutions, LLC. He advances the Community Empowerment- Centered Approach and C.A.T. Method.
“C stands for community empowerment, A for accountability, and T for transparency,” Mayers said. “Essentially, it’s about bringing all those public safety stakeholders together through different processes with equity and inclusivity.”
