While the City Council is spending its time on issues like the five-year Strategic Framework and Participatory Budgeting, the homicide rate in Greensboro continues to soar.
The City Council spent its last work session discussing items like what the difference was between a strategic framework and a strategic plan, something City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba explained in some detail. Councilmembers also lamented the fact that too many white woman were participating in Participatory Budgeting.
What the City Council didn’t discuss was the first of seven priorities that it set back in February, that is, to make Greensboro the “Safest City.”
It’s hard to claim that Greensboro is the “Safest City” when up through Oct. 8 there were 58 homicides compared to 34 homicides during the same time period in 2022. The average number of homicides in Greensboro during that time period is 36, which means the number of homicides so far this year represents a 71 percent increase from 2022 and a 67 percent increase from the yearly average.
Considering the tremendous increase in homicides, it is going to be difficult to make the argument this year that there would have been even more homicides if not for over a million dollars the city has spent on the Cure Violence program called the Gate City Coalition and run by City Councilmember Yvonne Johnson.
The goal of the Cure Violence program is to find out about potential homicides before they happen and prevent them. In the past the argument has been made that the homicide rate would have been higher except for the work of the Gate City Coalition.
In 2020, Greensboro had 62 homicides, which was the most ever. Considering that in the first week of October in 2023 the city has already had 58 homicides, there is no way that the 2020 record won’t be broken.
The Cure Violence program was first funded by the city in 2019 and has received about $400,000 a year every year since.
A study on the program by a group from UNCG in 2021 explained the lack of results based on statistics by saying that it would take two to four years, or maybe three to five years, for the program to become effective. Cure Violence was funded in 2019 and got started in 2020.
Perhaps instead of talking about the five year strategic framework the City Council might want to consider the effectiveness of the money it is currently spending in an effort to prevent homicides.
They also need to be addressing the needs of the homeless now that the cold weather is here. All of the homeless that were put up in motels this past year had to move out 3 months ago for lack of funding. I thought that housing was a priority for the city council. Oh that’s right they’re going to get pallet houses for winter. That is a temporary stopgap measure and in no way helps improve the homeless situation in Greensboro. City Council please wake up and accomplish something positive and sustainable.
It has been hailed as one of the best programs in the state the pilot program went great and may be able to keep hundreds off the street this year if you care so much embrace a tax hike and let’s get it done
Really? The city has tried to help them so many times and it has failed. I know personally that the homeless rather sit at the corners, trash them up and take money. Then they buy booze and a hotel room. Rinse Wash Repeat.
There are so many programs to help the homeless but they are just to lazy to become productive citizens. Don’t need to argue with me about it. Just ask them, They will tell you. In fact, NC 68/40 has 3 brothers working it that take a free bus from High Point to this location to beg.
What a sad story.
Easy fix: Vote this Council to the Greene Street curb. Sad fact: Not enough voters show up at the polls to implement this easy fix.
Council does not care! If one of them or their families are murdered, would the anti- police, do not care about public safety attitude change? What will it take before council wakes up? People who support and vote their representatives into office are also to blame. How many lives could have been saved if the p9lice department was properly funded. Cure for violence, Gate City Coalition are just names receiving our tax dollars with NO accountability or proof the program is working. Shame on the Mayor, council and those who keep voting in the council over and over.
We are the center of the triad we have more then 20 murders committed by people outside the county we have all types of transit people in and out of our county it seems like you want us to shut the boarders to all other counties so we can control these problems we share a county boarder with one of the most violent cities In the state and are surrounded by rural counties with heavy drug users exacerbating the problem Billy yow and his bunch averaged about 36 murders a year with a population of about 186,000 adjusted for population it’s exactly in line stop coming on you’re platform and telling half-truths worry about the raging opioid epidemic that’s plaguing rural NC and exacerbating the problem!
Good lord, run on sentence.
Here’s an idea big city why don’t you move to Durham and run for mayor. Billy Yow for Governor!!
DUH – you’re messing with east greensboro city council pet projects. The high homicide rate is just the plan to ask for more wasteful tax dollars and increase taxes again for more liberal do nothing projects. Keep voting them in….it’s your money.
In re: the growing Homicide rate in the Triad, no one on the Council or in the media seems to care to even mention the 300 pound gorilla in the room – GANGS! Much of the homicide problem can be attributed directly to the drugs, human trafficking, and general crime being perpetrated by gangs. They are recruiting juveniles to do the bulk of their dirty work because the youngsters will face lighter sentencing when caught. Hammer the gangs, and the crime problems in general will be reduced.
Some jackasses will shout “raaaacist” if we mention the gang factor – which itself would be a racist allegation since it implies that all of the gang perpetrators are from just one or two specific demographic groups. The thing is, where Democrats are in charge, this kind of problem grows. Make of that what you will, but it’s a simple, observable fact, gangs are where much of the trouble lies.
It’s not just the homicide rate, traffic violations like speeding , running red lights, blowing through school zones, Home and business break-ins, carjacking’s etc. are all at unacceptable. We are down hundred police officers and even with a 30% increase in taxes the town Council made no effort to have Greensboro look attract to new recruits. Since black lives matter defund the police and the advent of our new city manager it might be said the town Council has taken steps to weaken our police force. As for the Cure Violence program a quick Internet search will show it is ineffective.
I would love for speeding, running traffic lights, school zone issues to be enforced in my area of the City. We can’t even get that. I was told by a Police officer that since I live in a middle income neighborhood on the west side we are low on the totem pole of priority. Nice. I know we are short police officers, but really, telling it to my face?
Be glad he was point blank honest.
And tackle the domestic violence which is rampant and seemingly never ending.
Council is too busy figuring out how to make the Coliseum privatized management so their buddies can get more money.
59 and counting big city. Crow some more about Durham
we are a self-cleaning oven.
The problem is they are to weak to make a difference. Hard on all crimes stops larger crimes. I could care less what color is involved. Go hard at it or stop spending my tax dollars.
Excuses are made by people that cannot provide solutions. I moved 20 years ago from a city in south FL that had 180 officers in 26 Square miles. You didn’t talk back or dare try to run. When you got pulled over for speeding it was at least 2 showed up. The officers there had enough resources and respect to stop the Parkland shooter. When you go hard like that you get respect.
What you have now is a city council that thinks weak is politically correct. What we need to stop crime is strenght.
The state or city need Stricker gun laws for people that are caught with illegal guns.
Hoodlums don’t care about laws or illegal guns. Why? They know they’re only going to get a slap on the wrist and the state doesn’t want to build and manage any more prisons.
I say bring back the chain gangs and also stocks in the public square so everyone can walk by and see the hoodlums and the crimes they have committed. Maybe even have a contest on who can throw a rotten tomato at them.
Give them $800,000 a year instead…. and they’ll fix it quicker
Oh no but wait! The City has yet another taxpayer funded program to stop violence.
The program and RFP are called Community Violence Intervention and Interruption Project, and both are sponsored by the City’s Office of Community Safety (OCS). The City is soliciting proposals from qualified organizations to implement the project. The Office of Community safety is run by a professional grant writer who’s stated goal is to see that people in the community get paid! Paid for what is unclear at the moment as there are no stated clear cut measurable objectives to gage progress for reducing violence. Most likely because the cause of all the violence is systemic racism.
Oh no but wait! The City has yet another taxpayer funded program to stop violence.
The program and RFP are called Community Violence Intervention and Interruption Project, and both are sponsored by the City’s Office of Community Safety (OCS). The City is soliciting proposals from qualified organizations to implement the project. The Office of Community safety is run by a professional grant writer who’s stated goal is to see that people in the community get paid! Paid for what is unclear at the moment as there are no stated clear cut measurable objectives to gage progress for reducing violence. Most likely because the cause of all the violence is systemic racism.
This looks like an opportunity for Cure the Violence to appeal for greater funding from council as tge problem is stickier than first thought. I’m sure Ms. Johnson will recuse herself and not attempt to effect the discussion in any way.
It won’t matter. Everyone in GBO knows to get something from the city, or to have support in elections, you need the backing of Yvonne. The same goes for the county. . . .you got Skip on your side? You win.
I wonder if any of the “study group” spent any time on the mean streets. 400Gs a year will fund several more GPD on the streets, with none of the 400M funnel off for “shrinkage”. Oh, I am sorry. My suggestion is basic on logic,
Little Portland is in the lead again, we are winning the rate of murders from Portland. Can Chicago be next?
our council wastes too much time dealing with cranks ?
This City Manager is useless and a joke. How insulting to all of the citizens hiring this guy. He can talk but can’t get anything done. And try to set up a meeting with him if you are a citizen. You are not welcome, even though we pay his crazy high salary.
This boils all down to nothing more than diarrhea of the city councils mouth. It is them that places chains upon the police department to cater to the 1% of its citizens. There are racists council woman serving which always refers to “the black community being picked on” Hightower is one of the main ones. When a shooter was just outside the building one day, they got scared and had the police keep guard of them. When they have meetings, they have the police act as personal security for them. But when it comes to the community and crime fighting, they shake the hands of the officers. Who wants to work in an environment where each day your job is at risk for offending someone, being beat up, berated, or even shot for a measly 50K a year. They can work as a manager at Mcdonalds or a hotel for 75K a year and have no worries. Back the police officers up and let them police. It worked well years ago. It can work well again if you stop using them as political pawns
They’re too worried about virtue signaling and politics to do anything of substance, just like every other big city in NC. It’s no longer about how they can help people, but how they can look their best while wasting the most money possible. Also, I doubt they could have an effect on the murder rate. When our culture embraces and encourages murder and criminal behavior, and while fewer dads are in the home, the problem will persist.