MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Gun violence is claiming lives across the country, including in the capital city.
“I believe that gun violence is a public health crisis,” Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said.
The city leader is calling for change. It comes at a time when gun control is sparking a nationwide debate.
“People equate this with all guns, and what we’re talking about are those automatic, semi-automatic rifles,” he said.
He wants stricter guidelines in place. The mayor was quick to clarify that legal gunowners are not his concern.
“We aren’t talking about the licensed gun owners, as I am,” Reed said.
The mayor was referring to the trafficking of illegal guns that can end up in the hands of children.
He added that gun violence disproportionately affects communities of color. He said 90% of Montgomery’s victims and criminals are Black.
He wants more initiatives in place to “get these guns out of the hands of young, Black men who are shooting other young, Black men at a higher rate.”
The city has an Office of Violence Prevention that is finalizing a plan to combat gun violence by working with community service agencies. Specific details have not been released. You may have already seen them in your neighborhood during one of their “Stop the Violence” prayer walks.
“We have to get in the communities, do the work, begin to bring a greater awareness, and to start talking solutions,” said Keith Moore, director of the Office of Violence Prevention.
The Office of Violence Prevention said another “Stop the Violence” walk is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at Sherwood Apartments in Montgomery.
“People say, ‘why do you just do the prayer walks with the Office of Violence Prevention?’ Reed said. “There are policies that we are researching. There’s legislation that we would like to see sponsored and introduced.”
The mayor would like to further use community centers across the city as safe places for young people to work out their issues rather than turning to weapons.
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