Communities Unite To Fight Crime

Channel 5 NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Hundreds of people marched in Antioch and attended a rally targeting youth violence Tuesday. The event was part of the National Night Bishop Joseph Warren Walker, III, senior pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church Out Against Crime observance nationwide. Neighborhood associations and community groups across the country took part in celebrations and special events to mark the 25th annual national observance. Among the events Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas attended was a community wide collaboration in Antioch targeting youth violence. Participants marched along Bell Road and attended a rally at Hickory Hollow Mall. It was a march with a message that attracted hundreds of people. "It's a hard thing to see your community going down and see so many young people being mislead," said Alicia Bell. "To see people wiling to come out means that people are ready to do something, not just talk about it, but really put some programs behind, put some structure behind it," said Bishop Joseph Warren Walker, III, senior pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church, which sponsored the event. Metro Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite and her constituents, Hickory Hollow Mall, Regions Bank and Americhoice were the other major sponsors. Community and faith partners included Iglesia Monte Los Olivos, Antioch United Methodist Church as well as Metro Schools, Oasis Center and the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The latest juvenile crime statistics show the number of juveniles arrested for robbery is down 18 percent compared to this time last year. Juvenile arrests for violent crimes are down 28 percent. "But we've got to be truthful with the public, with the families," Serpas said. "Because the children who are still being arrested for violent crime, they're still very violent kids." "We're all in this together," said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. "We're a community and we need to work together to improve schools and to improve public safety." Elsewhere in Middle Tennessee, people gathered to also observe National Night Out Against Crime within their communities. Police officers and firefighters joined area neighbors in Stanford Estates on Downey Meade Court in the Donelson area. There were activities for children including a bike parade. But the heat forced one city to cancel their activities. The Cookeville Police Department planned an event at their headquarters. The department plans to reschedule, but an alternate date wasn't announced Tuesday.

Citywide parties seek to unite citizens, police against crime

By KATE HOWARD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • August 5, 2008 Post a CommentRecommend Print this page E-mail this article Share this article: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this? Communities across Nashville and the nation will be taking to the streets tonight in a show of force against crime. It's the 25th annual National Night Out Against Crime, and the 14th year Nashvillians have taken part with block parties around the city. There are 45 parties planned in Nashville alone, sponsored by community groups and neighborhood watches hoping to foster a better sense of togetherness — with one another and the police. "It's a good opportunity for people in the community to network, so to speak, with the police, fire department and merchants in the area as well," said Marty Lang, vice president of the Dickerson Road Merchants Association and a sponsor of the celebration today at 4 p.m. at Shwab Elementary School. "The most important thing is giving people and their kids the opportunity to meet the police and realize they're the good guys." The Shwab event, the unofficial kickoff and one of the city's largest, may see up to 1,200 people stop by for food, children's games and camaraderie. Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas said the department will be represented at each of the events, with patrol officers, commanders and recruiters making appearances, as well as departments like the mounted patrol and aviation. "This is an opportunity for the neighborhoods of Nashville and the police to come together and celebrate that we're making great strides in reducing crime," said Serpas, who will attend at least two events tonight. "But even though we're well into our fifth year of crime reduction, not everyone has felt that reduction yet." One neighborhood that Serpas and community leaders say is better than its reputation is using the night to bring attention to a movement against teen violence. Antioch leaders are holding a "Fed Up" march, ending with a rally in the Hickory Hollow Mall parking lot. "We want to bring the entire Antioch community to fellowship as one, and also let Nashville and the community know that they are fed up about this silliness, these crimes, and also recognize what some of the causes are," said Darrell Walker, overseer of the children and youth ministry at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The Hickory Hollow event will be heavy on participation from service agencies, offering help to parents struggling to reign in their teenagers, and entertainment to bring families together. Walker hopes it will give purpose to those in need of assistance and serve as a positive example that Antioch is making changes. If nothing else, the community gathering is a means for the city to speak in one voice that crime is not welcome , Serpas said. "The social underpinning of reduced crime is active neighborhoods," Serpas said. "The criminals will find someplace else to go. We can control our streets together." Contact Kate Howard at 615-726-8968 or kahoward@tennessean.com.