Bibb sheriff’s office announces project to curtail crime, foster racial goodwill in Macon
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis on Monday announced a program aimed at connecting local Black churches and religious leaders to the county’s law enforcement arm in hopes of curtailing crime as well as fostering racial goodwill.
The fledgling Concord Project came about after some of Macon’s Black ministers approached the sheriff about ways to increase “cultural relations” between police and local residents, and when possible halting violence before it happens through mentoring and other efforts.
Dozens of the city’s preachers were on hand at the announcement outside the former Macon Rescue Mission headquarters on Hazel Street, which the sheriff’s office is renovating as the Outreach and Restorative Justice Center.
One aspect of the Concord Project will include police ride-alongs for clergy members, eye-opening endeavors in many cases, for religious leaders to see some of what sheriff’s deputies deal with on duty.
“We’re very fortunate in this community that we do not have some of the (racial) issues that some of the other places have had, and it is because of these partnerships that we’ve always had in the community,” Davis said.
The sheriff added that “this marks a turning point in which the churches will get involved, and the churches will be intimately involved” to “strengthen trust in the community” and “to be a bridge ... and hopefully have a positive ... and deterrent impact on anybody that may be wanting to do harm.”
How exactly the program will work remains to be seen.
The Rev. Christopher E. Cabiness of New Hope Baptist Church on Burton Avenue said efforts will be made “to bring about cultural relations” in the city.
He added that the cops and the clergy had entered into “a unique partnership ... to become more culturally sensitive” to prevent trouble and promote unity while addressing issues related systemic racism as well as crime, violence, drug woes and economic despair.
One component of the project will include a “man in the middle” advisory board made up of people who had been incarcerated but served their sentences.