Brenda Howerton, chair of the Durham Board
of County Commissioners says she cringes whenever the
phone rings after 10:00 p.m. It reminds her of the two phone calls she received
informing her two of her sons were killed.
Her gut gets uneasy when she reads the
news about another mother losing a child to gun violence. It’s part of a
personal life mission that inspired her to run for public office. It matters
more than anything. More than the budget to fund public schools or other
matters involving the state of county government.
The recent shootings in the parking deck
on the campus of North Carolina Central University was another reminder. Her
son Lamont was killed by a navy soldier at a party organized by students at
Hampton University. He was only 26 years old. Her youngest son Darryl was a
student at North Carolina A&T University when he was shot and killed by the
police. He was only 17 years old.
Two Black men killed before turning thirty.
The grip of the pain is too much for any mother to endure. It doesn’t matter if
she’s the chair of the board of county commissioners.
Clarence Birkhead is Durham County
Sheriff. He’s a Black man sick and tired of being sick and tired. He’s tired of
witnessing increased homicides with declining resources to combat what feels
like a war in the streets. It’s the good guys against the bad guys, but the way
the budgets work in local government the good guys are treated like the bad
guys.
Birkhead and Howerton have teamed up to
write a statement regarding gun violence in Durham County. You’re left feeling shit
is personal for two Black people called and appointed to protect and serve the
citizens of Durham County.
Words mean more when written from the
gut.
“Deep calls to deep in
the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me,” records the writer of Psalm 42:7.
A statement of faith
when nothing else seems to work.
Statement
from Durham County Commissioner Chair Brenda Howerton and Sheriff Clarence F.
Birkhead in response to shootings near NCCU Campus
First of all, I sincerely ask that you
join me in sending thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims that
were lost in the senseless shootings that took place near North Carolina Central
University on this past Saturday and Monday.
No family is ever prepared for the knock
on the door, at an unexpected time of day or night, that results in the
unthinkable news that one’s family member will never return home. Sadly, I know
that experience all too well, and indeed my heart is heavy. I know that our
community is absolutely heartbroken at this time as we see this senseless
violence continue.
Residents at the McDougald Terrace public
housing complex, within walking distance of the North Carolina Central
University campus, have also been traumatized by gun violence and for far too
long. No parent should be forced to hold their child tight fearful that a stray
bullet may take their life. No child should be forced to contend with the site
of a dead body on the ground as they wait for first responders to take the body
away.
During the months of this pandemic, we’ve
seen an increase of violence in our community. As of August 28th, our Durham Police Department had
investigated 33 criminal homicides, which is higher than the same period a year
ago.
Let me be clear. This problem of gun
violence is a problem that is escalating everywhere ─ in cities large and
small. Some say it’s because there are too many guns in the hands of too many
people. Others say if people had more access to jobs, our crime and violence
would be reduced. Still others note that more mental health services are needed
because too many people are stressed out. I say all the above are true.
At his recent news conference, Chancellor
Johnson Akinyele spoke in great detail about the considerable resources that
have been received and implemented to provide a safe environment for students
and staff. And he also asked for more resources from the State, City, and
the County to help combat violent crime.
I will say that both of our local governments
have taken steps to address gun violence in Durham. This year the County
entered an interlocal agreement to with the City expanding our Violence
Interruption program known as Bull City United.
This nationally recognized program works
in specific neighborhoods with a long-standing history of violence. Bull
City United interrupters and outreach workers engage the
community to get involved by conveying the message that violence is
not normal and violent behavior can be changed.
The program was expanded because it has worked. While BCU is not currently near
this campus, there is a chance that it could be added in the future.
Durham County provided funds to Durham
Technical Community College for an enhanced job training program which is in
the final stages of design. With assistance from our industry partners at Merck
and Corning, the pilot program will provide job skills for 25 students in high
demand careers. The objective is to help the participants succeed and become
employed in Durham’s expanding life sciences companies and more.
Finally, we all want to see change, but
we must work together to make it happen. We can and must do more. The City and
the County will continue to work together to review our systems to keeping
Durham safe. We can instruct our law enforcement agencies to research
successful best practices and bring forth new ideas for community
policing. We need community members to speak up and report when they see
circumstances that may result in violence. All of us have a role to play if we
are to make Durham the safe community that I know it can become.
Our Durham County Sheriff Clarence F.
Birkhead is of course a key partner in this work, and I am delighted that he
agreed to join me by sharing his concerns in the following statement:
“I support Chair Howerton and Durham
County’s commitment to combating the gun violence plaguing our communities,
particularly communities of color. We, as a city, can no longer accept gun
violence in our communities as a way of life. It is time for action. And it is
time for all of us to work together. Remaining silent indicates a level of our
complicity in the growing gun violence problem.
Let me be clear: someone out there knows
who is responsible for what happened at North Carolina Central University (NCCU),
and in the second shooting incident in as many days, where the lives of three
men from our local community were cut short. We need the community to help us
solve these crimes. This plea also goes for many of the other homicide and
shooting victims that keep happening across Durham. Our community needs to
speak up because silence makes this problem worse.
We need the community to call us when
they hear, witness, or have information about any crime. Tips can be called in
anonymously to either Crime Stoppers at (919) 683-1200 or the Durham County
Sheriff’s Office tip-line at (919) 560-7151.
As your Sheriff, I am focused on
solutions. To that end, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office will continue to
work closely with the Durham Police Department, as well as NCCU Police and
their administration, to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff.
Additionally, we will extend the full measure of our investigative resources to
identify the perpetrators and hold those accountable for their actions.
We can reduce gun violence across Durham
by doing what we do best - working together as a community and supporting one
another.”
Clarence F. Birkhead, Sheriff
Brenda A.
Howerton, Chair
Durham
Board of Commissioners
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