MUNCIE—According to numbers from the FBI, the rate of violent crime has dropped slightly, but many cities are still looking for solutions.
The city of Muncie was impacted by a mass shooting at a street party in July. That shooting left one person dead and 18 additional wounded. The NAACP hopes to collaborate with leaders in the city to engage young people.
"We are constantly hearing shootings or gun activity taking place,” Kathy Carey a Muncie Resident said.
Carey was born and raised in Muncie. Gun violence is an issue but just bringing city leaders isn’t enough of a solution. She says young people also need to be consulted.
"It starts by asking them,” Carey said. “You got to bring them to the table too. It just can't be about us, the kids have to come to the table. We have to sit them down and get an idea of what they want what could work for them.”
Young people are a big reason the NAACP wanted to work with a consultant in the first place. They started the process of talking with one back in 2020 but after hearing from kids they mentor, they knew they had to act.
"We asked the question how many of our youth have seen guns in the home or elsewhere,” George Foley Jr. the President of Muncie NAACP said. “About 80 percent of our kids raised their hands and said they have seen guns. We didn't ask where or why but that just sparked attention in us.
The consultant that was hired is Carlton T. Mayers II. Mayers has worked in several states across the country. He will come up with a customized plan and bring together community members, city leaders and law enforcement through listening sessions. He has done this work in cities like Milwaukee and Nashville as well.
"Lets start bringing in everybody to the table with equity,” Carlton Mayers the founder and CEO of Mayers Solution LLC said. “So instead of speaking at them or speaking to them lets speak with them so that way everybody is open to a conversation about these are the issues and these are what we think the solutions are. "
Neither the mayor of Muncie nor the police chief was in attendance during the NAACP’s Announcement. The mayor had a scheduling conflict and the police department says they weren't invited. The city sent out the following statement in response.
“The Muncie Police Department is deeply invested in our community, and has taken transformative steps to build a collaborative relationship with our neighborhoods. Regretfully, the Police Chief’s office was not invited to the NAACP press conference or consulted regarding the press release, and was unable to attend. MPD is an active participant in the Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce, and wholeheartedly supports mentorship and education initiatives to prevent violent conflicts, especially involving youth. The Mayor’s office is currently scheduling a follow up meeting with representatives from MPD, the NAACP, and City Hall to discuss next steps. “
The NAACP says it will start holding listening sessions starting in the new year. According to the consultant, the customized plan to address gun violence in Muncie will take about two years to create.
