Project SAFE Neighborhoods & Project Hope Partner with Faith Community to offer Teen Summit '08
Nightly Event Draws Adults & Teens
March 25, 26 & 27
Project SAFE Neighborhoods Resource Specialist Teresa Vinson shares, "The Teen Summit was truly wonderful and we are so very thankful to Dr. Clary Phelps, Gethsemane Baptist Church and the Interdenominational Fellowship of Churches, for sponsoring this community event."

Vinson offers that throughout the program, teens were able to receive support  and information in the areas of job readiness, motivation and confidence for a better future, and a feeling of constant community care. Parenting 101 classes were offered each night for parents as well. Vinson notes, "A gospel/rap/hip-hop concert was held the final night and offered an inspirational celebration in support of our youth. It is so important that we let the youth of our community know that there are positive alternatives to a life a crime."
 

Project SAFE Neighborhoods, established five years ago to curb gun violence in Salisbury, will hold a "Holiday Family Day" Saturday at the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA. It's the second Family Day Project SAFE has organized this year and is part of the city's initiative against gangs and youth violence. The Family Day, going from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., is geared toward families with children in kindergarten through fifth grades. The first 500 families will receive a "goody bag." Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.

Door prize drawings will be held at 1 p.m. To win a door prize, a person must be present and holding a ticket punched at all the workshops, showing attendance. The grand prize is a Wii video game system. Other prizes include four bicycles from Wal-Mart, four DVD players and MP3 players.

Information workshops for parents during the day include Project SAFE Neighborhoods' Gang Awareness, Anti-gun Violence Education, Help Your Child Succeed and an Interactive Drug Education Puppet Show. Information booths and displays will include Project SAFE, Youth Services Bureau, Communities in Schools, Rowan Partners for Education, Salisbury Parks and Recreation, the YMCA, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Adolescent Family Enrichment Council and Salisbury-Rowan Community Service Council.

Music and free food and drinks will be available. There is no admission charge, either. The United Way of Rowan County is sponsoring the event. Salisbury Transit is providing free transportation to and from the YMCA. Children will be able to have their pictures taken with Santa. Other activities for children include the puppet shows, a moon bounce, games, arts and crafts, the Kids' Fire Safety Smokehouse and an appearance by McGruff, the crime dog.

Henry Diggs, the Project SAFE facilitator for its intervention program, said his group knows from the well-attended first Family Day that Saturday's event will be exciting and have an impact. The event was one of the strategies identified by participants in the city's gang summit initiatives. "We just have all kinds of things planned for children so their parents can and will attend the workshops," said Jackie Harris, in charge of youth intervention for Project SAFE.

Mayor Susan Kluttz said she thinks the event is a "wonderful way to bring families together and I hope we can continue this."

Article courtesy of Salisbury Post - Reporter Shavonne Potts     
Gang summit - More than 300 turn out to get youth off 'path to mediocrity'
November 30, 2007
By Shavonne Potts, Salisbury Post

Opportunity -- it's a simple possibility, if there is someone to provide it. On Thursday night just more than 300 people showed up at the Salisbury Civic Center for the city's second gang summit to say they would provide that opportunity to the community.

"Salisbury-Rowan United II: the Next Steps in Creating an Action Agenda for a Safer Community and a Positive Future for Our Youth" followed the June 14 summit on gangs and youth violence that attracted more than 500 city and county residents. When asked about the difference in attendance, City Manager David Treme said he wasn't disappointed. "I'm pleased at the turnout. I think this is very good. A lot of these people were representations of other, larger groups," he said.

Those who attended learned about the eight focus areas that are part of the new agenda which include law enforcement support programs, schools and school programs and community awareness. Steve Bird of Salisbury used to volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and thought he could participate in one of the mentoring groups who attended the summit. "I'm encouraged. Everybody cares and they feel like it's something they can do," he said. Barbara Hart, is a minister at First Calvary Baptist said there are no bad children. "They just need to find a path," she said. Hart was also attending to support her husband Keith Hart, who works with J.F. Hurley Family YMCA's Black Achievers Program.

Also at Thursday's summit, Salisbury Police Chief Mark Wilhelm introduced the department's newly expanded Gangs Task Force. In addition to gang investigator Todd Sides, the department has added investigators J.J. Wilkerson and Suad Jakupovic. Wilhelm also introduced Officer Shanita Millsaps, who teaches the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program at Knox Middle School. Sides teaches the same curriculum at Isenberg Elementary. The program is designed to help children resist peer pressures and understand how gangs and youth violence impact the quality of their lives. The police have identified 287 people suspected, admitted or validated as gang members in Salisbury, Wilhelm said. Since January, there have been 137 gang-related incidents reported in the city that range from vandalism to murder.

Educators like Salisbury High School's Sakinah Shakoor attended the summit to advocate for school programs like the one she teaches that cites educational opportunities as one tool to steer children away from gangs and violent behavior. She said the class has a "buffet of different resources." The reason they target freshmen is because "they're young and are easily influenced." "It's to wean them off the path of mediocrity," she said. Shakoor hopes she's inspiring them to do great things now and later in life. Four of Shakoor's students from Success 101, a class that addresses freshman literacy needs, were available to discuss research papers they wrote on gangs. The students -- Brandi Bledsoe, William Watkins, Micah Ford and Mohamed Shakur, wrote on various aspects of gangs from modern gangs, to the Klu Kluk Klan and the Black Panthers to girls in gangs. "I learned that it's not all about being in a social group or being recognized. Instead getting involved in something positive," Bledsoe said, summing up her research paper. "I hope to inspire someone to realize they shouldn't join gangs," Shakur said of discussing his paper with others.

Free prizes and gifts totaling $1,000 were given away during the event. Mayor Susan Kluttz reminded the audience that Project Safe Neighborhoods will have a Family Day Event from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Salisbury YMCA. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federally funded program created to reduce violent gun crime by partnering volunteer citizens with law enforcement.

For more information about Salisbury-Rowan United visit the Web site at www.salisburync.gov/positiveyouth. Contact Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253 or spotts@salisburypost.com.
 

Project SAFE Neighborhood Event Draws Crowd
August 19, 2007
By Steve Huffman, Salisbury Post Reporter
Photograph by Salisbury Post Photographer Wayne Hinshaw

Organizers of Saturday's Project Safe Neighborhoods Family Day admitted they didn't know what kind of turnout to expect. Would they have 200 participants? Three hundred? A few organizers went out on a limb and hoped aloud for 400. Turns out, they had that many and a whole lot more. Putting an exact number to a mass of humanity is a lot like totaling those grains of sand that the waves are always pounding. But those who headed Saturday's festivities guessed they had a turnout of 800 to 900 children and parents. At least.

"It was amazing," said Lt. Rory Collins of the Salisbury Police Department, director of Saturday's Family. "We were thrilled." Children and their parents began streaming into the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA early Saturday. The registration line at the front of the Y didn't shorten until mid-afternoon. Along the way, children danced, sang, played and ate more hot dogs than you can shake an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile at. Parents enjoyed some fine dining, too, while also picking up valuable information about organizations and agencies that can help their children. Family Day organizers had packed 240 bags with school supplies, a single bag to be given to each child. The bags contained notebook paper, crayons and the like. All of the pre-packaged bags were given out early, and vouchers for another 310 were distributed. Those with vouchers can pick up their bags at City Hall anytime Thursday. Collins said the motivation behind Family Day stemmed from a recent initiative by the city of Salisbury to fight back against gangs. The idea, Collins said, is to give young people an alternative to joining such groups."We're trying to help educate young people to resist gangs," he said. "We want to give them confidence to deal with a disagreement without resorting to violence."

Funding for Saturday's activities came from Project Safe Neighborhoods, part of a Governor's Crime Commission grant. Henry Diggs, chairman of Project Safe Salisbury, stood back and observed the proceedings, then smiled."Just look at everybody," Diggs said. "No one wants to leave. Everyone's having a good time -- adults as well as young people." The turnout, Diggs admitted, moved him. "You're always pleased when something exceeds your expectations," he said.

Lining the halls of the Y were representatives from a number of community organizations, all anxious to get the word out about what they had to offer. "We ran out of pamphlets early," said Sandy Reitz, a representative of Communities in Schools of Rowan County. Donna Wiseman, another CIS representative, said their goal was simple. "We want to let people know what the organization is all about," she said. Carol Morrison is a health education specialist with Salisbury-Rowan Community Service Council. The organization's most well-known offering is HeadStart, aimed at preschoolers. "People have shown a lot of interest," Morrison said of Saturday's attendees. "We've passed out a lot of applications."

Richard Davis, Rowan County director of Boy Scouts of America, said much the same. "There's been a huge turnout," he said. "They're asking a lot of questions, finding out what we're all about." Behind the Y, Joseph Cataldo manned a huge grill. He said he'd been told to plan food for 350 and, as a precaution, had brought enough to feed 500. But police officers helping with Family Day hustled to a local grocery store for more supplies when it became apparent that they still weren't going to have enough food.

Yvonne Hawkins brought her two sons to Family Day and felt moved enough by all that transpired to seek out a Post reporter covering the event. She wanted it in the paper, she said, what Saturday's gathering meant to her and her family. "This program is really good for the community," Hawkins said. "I want everyone to know that." Her friend, Ulander Franklin, accompanied her. Franklin said she brought a number of neighborhood children and said the youngsters couldn't have been treated more kindly. "They've been great to these kids," Franklin said. "This has been a wonderful experience for them."

Part of Saturday's fun included an interactive puppet show where children were shown positive ways of dealing with confrontation. The puppet show was presented by Win-Win Resolutions Inc. McGruff the Crime Dog also wandered the halls of the Y and posed for pictures with the children. Door prizes -- including a pair of bicycles -- were given away. Contact Steve Huffman at 704-797-4222 or shuffman@salisburypost.com. Photograph by Photographer Wayne Hinshaw, Salisbury Post Photography Dept.
 

Program Teaches Kids Perils of Guns and Crime
July 1, 2007
By Holly Fesperman Lee, Salisbury Post Reporter
Photo Taken by Salisbury POST photographer Rebecca J. Ducker

Local children learned what to do if they see a gun and heard convicts speak against gun violence Saturday at a Project Safe Neighborhoods event. Project Safe Neighborhoods, an anti-gun-violence program, is run through the Salisbury Police Department and seeks to make the community safer. About 150 children attended Saturday's event at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. The day of fun and education was also organized by Project Hope, the spiritual component of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

McGruff the Crime Dog joined Salisbury Police Department Community Resource Specialist Teresa Vinson and Community Resource Officer Ann Cooper to teach children younger than 12 about the four things they should do if they ever see a gun. They told the kids: * Stop; * Don't touch; * Run away; * Tell an adult.

Older children had the opportunity to play 3-on-3 basketball and everyone heard a presentation from Project Safe Neighborhoods clients. Vinson explained that while Saturday's event was aimed at crime prevention, the program also works "to identify people in our community who have already been convicted of gun crimes.

"It's designed to remove people who continue to commit gun crimes from our community by prosecution," she said. "But if they want to change we help them get back in school, find jobs -- we do everything we can to help them be successful." Vinson said Saturday afternoon that she couldn't provide the names of the clients who spoke. But she said all of her clients have been convicted of gun crimes.

"Three came in and spoke to the children regarding the importance of education, listening to their parents, not committing crimes and not going to prison," she said. "That was very effective," Vinson recalled later Saturday. "You could hear a pin drop." "One of the clients said he wished he had listened to his mother," she said.

While the man was talking, Vinson said, a child asked him, "Did you ever cry in prison?" "He said 'Yes, many nights ... because you miss your family,' " Vinson said. That man went to prison two times. And the second time, his mother never came to see him, and that hurt, Vinson said. Another convict told children he should have stayed in college. Vinson said the man spent two years in college and explained to students that he would have a good career now if he hadn't gotten involved with crime.

"The less education you have the less money you make and the harder you have to work," Vinson said that man told children. Vinson said she has about 100 clients in the Project Safe Neighborhoods program right now. "Many of them are doing extremely well," she said. The program started in Salisbury in 2003.

"We're the smallest city in the country that has Project Safe Neighborhoods," Vinson said. Saturday's event was the first designed specifically for youth that involved area churches. "I think the children loved it," Vinson said. Children who came to Mount Zion Church also got lunch. Organizers brought in pizza and Cheerwine donated soft drinks. About 10 area churches involved with Project Hope provide a meal for Project Safe Neighborhoods clients once a month. Vinson said that sometimes all it takes for a person to change is a little help. And by their actions, the churches are saying they care about those people, they believe in them and they want to help, Vinson said.

Contact Holly Lee at 704-797-7683 or hlee@salisburypost.com.

Salisbury's Project SAFE Neighborhoods' Team Assists City Police Investigators with Neighborhood Canvass
July 13, 2006
By Karen Wilkinson, Project SAFE Communications Team
Residents Informed that Neighborhood Violence will not be Tolerated

Salisbury, NC_July 13, 2006 – Members of the Salisbury Project SAFE Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force joined City Police Criminal Investigators in a neighborhood canvass, involving the Locke Street and Wilson Road area, on Thursday, July 13^th.  The local outreach is taken in response to arrests made following the brutal beating and shooting of 37-year-old Anthony McFadden on May 29, 2006.  The incident took place at the 700 block of Wilson Road at approximately 10:30 pm. 

Four men have been arrested and charged to date with the McFadden fatality.  Tyrone Vinson, arrested the day following the murder, was followed by Isaac Sanders, charged on Wednesday, June 21.  A third suspect, Samuel Poole, was charged in late June with the fourth suspect, Antoine Terrell McGee, arrested Thursday, July 6^th.  Lt. David Belk, head of the City’s Police Criminal Investigations Unit, states that a group of men beat McFadden near his apartment, located just a few blocks from Salisbury High School.  Following the beating, McFadden was shot several times in the chest and although alive at the scene, died shortly after being taken to Rowan Regional Medical Center.  Belk states, “McFadden had numerous run-ins with the law in the past” and adds, “many of those were drug-related incidents.” 

Belk shares that the canvass, which initiated at 6:30 pm from the Salisbury High School Parking Lot, was an approximate two-hour process and involved teaming a volunteer Project Safe member with a Salisbury Police officer.  The intent was to reach out to the local neighborhood and inform residents that the Police and the Community support them and will not tolerate such violence.  Belk notes, “We are looking for assistance from the neighborhood and seek any information which they can possibly share regarding the McFadden murder or to aid us in reducing crime in their neighborhood.”  In addition, citizens are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-JAIL (5245) at any time, with information for the police. 

Mayor Susan Kluttz, a Project SAFE Team Member, participated in the canvass to help assure the neighborhood residents that the City is concerned about the recent incident, does sincerely care about their safety, and will not tolerate this type of gun violence.  Kluttz shares that she also wanted to demonstrate her support for the Project SAFE program, which she believes makes a tremendous difference in the safety of Salisbury’s citizens.  The Mayor states, “We have many dedicated volunteers, like the ones who were walking the streets of this neighborhood Thursday night. These individuals work closely with local law enforcement and court personnel to discourage illegal gun use and to promote violence prevention with our young people.” Kluttz adds that gun violence can not be prevented by law enforcement alone and that there has to be a partnership between law enforcement and the community.  “Our City Council is committed to this program and continues to support it in every way possible.  We are grateful to U.S. Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner for including Salisbury in the group of larger cities in our Nation, which are aided through Federal and State Partnerships with our local police and sheriff’s departments.”                                                 

Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. The Bush Administration committed over $1.5 billion to this effort since PSN's inception in 2001. This funding is being used to hire new federal and state prosecutors, support investigators, provide training, distribute gun lock safety kits, deter juvenile gun crime, and develop and promote community outreach efforts as well as to support other gun violence reduction strategies.  As part of the project, violent convicted felons attend a community notification session, where they are informed that they could face federal charges for the crimes which they have committed.  The structured gathering includes an opening segment by volunteer community representatives who offer assistance, compassion and sincere concern for the welfare of their community and the future of those notified.  Immediately following, law enforcement and prosecutors promise stiff punishment for those who continue to commit violence. Project SAFE increases federal, state and local law enforcement resources to vigorously prosecute repeat violent and group offenders who use guns in committing crimes.  At the same time, it identifies the people involved in violent crimes in the past and, through a community intervention team, makes them aware of resources that are available to help them stay out of trouble. 

A former Chief District Court Judge in Rowan County, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, Anna Mills Wagoner explains that Project SAFE is not an offer to forgive, but a way for offenders to turn their lives around. For the offenders who continue to commit acts of violence, police and prosecutors promise those in the notification meetings that they will come down hard on them in state and federal court and get them off the streets for a long time.  Ms. Wagoner adds, “A decrease in gun crime and citizen complaints are exactly the results that we are striving for ... safer streets, neighborhoods and front porches for all to enjoy."

In addition to notifications, Project SAFE Salisbury offers educational outreach sessions to the community.  Programs, designed specifically for ages, kindergarten to adult, are implemented by team volunteers striving to create awareness and preserve the safety of their community. In addition, Project SAFE Salisbury has designed and distributes complimentary educational guides for parents and concerned citizens regarding gang activity and awareness.  Citizens are encouraged to visit the Project SAFE Salisbury website at http://www.salisburync.gov/projectsafe/safesalisbury.htm for more information regarding gangs, gun awareness and children’s safety tips and interactive games. 

For more information regarding Project SAFE Salisbury, please contact Resource Coordinator, Teresa Vinson at 704-638-2175 or via email at tvins@salisburync.gov .
                                                           

Project SAFE Salisbury Task Force Members Attend 2006 National Conference
May 31, 2006
By Karen Wilkinson, Project SAFE Communications Team

Salisbury Team Members Attend National Project SAFE Neighborhood Conference
Anti-Gang Message, Re-entry into Society and Prevention with Children

Salisbury, NC_May 31, 2006 – Members of Salisbury’s Project SAFE Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force, recently attended a four-day national conference in Denver, Colorado.  Teresa Vinson, Project SAFE Community Resource Specialist for the Salisbury Project SAFE team, in addition to Henry Diggs, Project SAFE Salisbury Team Facilitator, attended the May forum which offered educational sessions in gang prevention and intervention, successful re-entry programs, faith based support programs and anti-gang and violence prevention for children.

The conference brought together more than 1,300 members of PSN task forces from throughout the country for informational, coalition building, and networking purposes. Keynote speeches were given by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, and Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Julie Myers. Gonzales offered remarks on the dramatic success of Project Safe Neighborhoods, highlighting national progress and acknowledging the accomplishments of the Lancaster, Pennsylvania PSN Task Force. The Attorney General also discussed the program's latest endeavor to combat gang activity, and the $30 million in grant funding allotted to support PSN anti-gun enforcement and prevention efforts. President George Bush offered remarks via videotape. The extraordinary efforts of task forces and their members were recognized during the Achievement Awards Ceremony held during the conference.

Vinson and Diggs obtained educational materials which will be incorporated into the Project SAFE Salisbury team’s on-going violence prevention program.  Vinson states, “The conference enabled me to visualize how other municipalities are aggressively attacking crime prevention and what other task forces are doing across the country, regarding intervention and prevention programs to stop gun violence.”

Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment dedicated to reducing gun crime in America.  The plan calls for a locally organized task force with federal backing to reduce gun violence by using federal, state and local resources. The Bush Administration committed over $1 billion to this effort in its first 4 years for the utilization of hiring new federal and state prosecutors, support investigators, training provisions, and distribution of gun lock safety kits, deterrence of juvenile gun crime, and the development and promotion of community outreach efforts. As part of the project, violent convicted felons attend a community notification session, where they are informed that they could face federal charges for the crimes which they have committed.  The structured gathering includes an opening segment by volunteer community representatives who offer assistance, compassion and sincere concern for the welfare of their community and the future of those notified.  Immediately following, law enforcement and prosecutors promise stiff punishment for those who continue to commit violence. Project SAFE increases federal, state and local law enforcement resources to vigorously prosecute repeat violent and group offenders who use guns in committing crimes.  At the same time, it identifies the people involved in violent crimes in the past and, through a community intervention team, makes them aware of resources that are available to help them stay out of trouble. 

Salisbury held its first PSN notification meeting in November 2003 and of the 19 violent offenders identified by local probation officers, all were in attendance. Of the nineteen in attendance, nine asked for help from the community. The resources available include providing help toward a general equivalency diploma, job training, employment, parenting, day care, alcohol or drug treatment, counseling, anger management, mentoring, tutoring, housing, medical care, dental care, transportation and family assistance.  Facilitator Henry Diggs states, "If the community can't meet some of these basic needs, it will live with a cycle of repeat offenders.”

Project SAFE is not an offer to forgive, but a way for offenders to turn their lives around. For the offenders who continue to commit acts of violence, police and prosecutors promise those in the notification meetings that they will come down hard on them in state and federal court and get them off the streets for a long time.  A former Chief District Court Judge in Rowan County, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, Anna Mills Wagoner adds, “A decrease in gun crime and citizen complaints are exactly the results that we are striving for ... safer streets, neighborhoods and front porches for all to enjoy."

In addition to notifications, Project SAFE Salisbury offers educational outreach sessions to the community.  Programs, designed specifically for ages, kindergarten to adult, are implemented by team volunteers striving to create awareness and preserve the safety of their community.  High energy children’s sessions include music and exercise with appearances by “McGruff” the Crime Dog and “Chipper” the Salisbury Parks & Recreation Squirrel.  Young attendees receive refreshments, Salisbury SAFE Kids Gun Safety Workbooks and learn through repetition, the four steps to take when they see a gun.  The program offers a strong marriage of volunteers and the local Police Department.  Bullet-proof vest and K-9 demonstrations offer the children insight into the life of a police officer with hopes that children will view the Police as an ally in time of need.

In response to recent signs of possible gang activity within the City, Salisbury Police Officer Todd Sides offers educational awareness sessions on gang action. In support of this outreach, Project SAFE Salisbury has designed and distributes complimentary educational guides for parents and concerned citizens regarding gang activity and awareness.  Further gang information can be accessed on the Project SAFE Salisbury website at http://www.salisburync.gov/projectsafe/safesalisbury.htm . In addition, the site offers an interactive children’s page with coloring projects, smart decision making and gun safety tips. To request children’s workbooks, gang awareness booklets or to receive more information regarding Project SAFE Salisbury, please contact Karen Wilkinson at 704-638-2113 or via email at kwilk@salisburync.gov.
 

Salisbury’s Project SAFE Neighborhood Offers "Hoops and Hope" to Local Youth through Basketball
February 28, 2006
By Karen Wilkinson, Project SAFE Communications Team

Salisbury, NC – February 28, 2006 – The Salisbury Project SAFE Neighborhoods (PSN) task force, in conjunction with the Salisbury Police Department, are proud to sponsor Salisbury's 2006 "Hoops and Hope" Youth Basketball team. The energetic squad, consisting of 12 players, competes each Saturday in the established PHASAC - Public Housing League.

Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment dedicated to reducing gun crime in America.  In addition to supporting the established PSN national mission, Salisbury’s task force has established Youth Outreach, Public Education and Early Crime Intervention as additional goals.  Lt. David Belk of the Salisbury Police Department shares, "By reaching out into the community and supporting our youth, we are in essence, providing a positive and healthy deterrent to crime.  Involvement in organized athletics offers structured recreation with an affirmative goal and provides a constructive alternative to "at-risk" opportunities surrounding youth in all communities today."

In addition to Belk, those guiding and coaching Salisbury's young players with constant enthusiasm and encouragement are: Robert Cooper, Head of the Police Athletic League; Officer Kareem Parunda, Salisbury Police Department; and Ruth Chaparro, of the City's Human Resources Department. The team currently boasts of 2 wins and anticipates a busy schedule with Saturday games planned through May 13th.

Teresa Vinson, Salisbury's Project SAFE Resource Coordinator, believes crime education and intervention can never start too early. Vinson stresses, "With so many negative influences pulling at our children daily, it is imperative that we offer constructive alternatives and helpful advice to kids as young as preschool and kindergarten age." In addition to her established duties with Project SAFE, Vinson organized Salisbury's PSN Youth Basketball Committee and attends the meetings. Vinson also partners with the City's Parks & Recreation and Police Departments and members of the Project SAFE task force to offer year-round educational gun prevention sessions for all ages.

Project SAFE Neighborhoods is a nationally established initiative which provides a locally organized task force with federal backing to reduce gun violence by using federal, state and local resources. The Bush Administration committed over $1 billion to this effort in its first 4 years for the utilization of hiring new federal and state prosecutors, support investigators, training provisions, and distribution of gun lock safety kits, deterrence of juvenile gun crime, and the development and promotion of community outreach efforts. As part of the project, violent convicted felons attend a community notification session, where they are informed that they could face federal charges for the crimes which they have committed.  The structured gathering includes an opening segment by volunteer community representatives who offer assistance, compassion and sincere concern for the welfare of their community and the future of those notified.  Immediately following, law enforcement and prosecutors promise stiff punishment for those who continue to commit violence. Project SAFE increases federal, state and local law enforcement resources to vigorously prosecute repeat violent and group offenders who use guns in committing crimes.  At the same time, it identifies the people involved in violent crimes in the past and, through a community intervention team, makes them aware of resources that are available to help them stay out of trouble. 

Belk adds, "Salisbury views Project SAFE as a two-pronged initiative with the notification of convicted felons on one hand and the dedicated outreach and support for our youth on the other." For more information regarding Project SAFE Neighborhoods, the youth basketball league or educational gun prevention sessions, please contact Lt. David Belk of the Salisbury Police Department at 704-638-2162 or Teresa Vinson at 704-638-2175. Visit Salisbury's Project SAFE website at www.salisburync.gov/projectsafe/safesalisbury.htm .

Click here for a printable schedule of Salisbury's PSN Youth Basketball games.
 

Salisbury’s Project SAFE Neighborhood Representatives Attend Statewide Conference “Guns, Gangs….Gone!” offers Proven Strategy for NC Violence Reduction
December 2, 2005
By Karen Wilkinson, Project SAFE Communications Team

Salisbury, NC – December 2, 2005 – Members of Salisbury’s Project SAFE Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force, recently attended a two-day statewide conference in Winston Salem.  The symposium, sponsored by the U.S. Attorneys’ Office for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of NC, the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission and the Center for Community Safety at Winston Salem State University, offered a proven strategy for violence reduction in North Carolina. 

Entitled “Guns, Gangs…GONE!” the main conference goal was to focus participants’ attention on the tools of proven and positive PSN anti-gun violence strategies.  In addition, attendees were instructed on how to utilize these approaches to assist in the investigation and prosecution of all violent crimes, particularly those which are gang-related. 

The event was attended by more than 300 neighborhood leaders, in addition to state, local and federal representatives from all over North Carolina. Conference attendees were either currently involved with President Bush’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program or seeking future involvement. 

Mayor Susan Kluttz of Salisbury spoke during a panel discussion entitled “Project SAFE Neighborhoods: It Works and Here’s Why”.  Mayor Kluttz states, “I believe that our program has continued to be strong for several reasons, including our outstanding Police Department, which is willing to partner with other law enforcement on the local, state and federal levels; our work for several years in improving race relationships through diversity/multicultural training; the Crime Control Plan; the logic of providing hope versus threats; the clear message that our City Council will not tolerate gun violence; and a community of people who truly care and work to improve the City of Salisbury.”

A former Chief District Court Judge in Rowan County, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, Anna Mills Wagoner, participated in the opening conference welcome and continued to pledge strong support from her office to this local project. Ms. Wagoner states, “The leadership, commitment and energy that Salisbury has given to the Project Safe Neighborhoods gun violence reduction strategy, was quite evident at the statewide conference. The presentations by Mayor Kluttz, Henry Diggs and Teresa Vinson were powerful and so well received.” Members of the Project SAFE Salisbury team, Task Force Facilitator Diggs and Resource Coordinator Vinson, led a juvenile outreach workshop at the conference.  “In addition, we were honored to have Rev. Nilious Avery return thanks at the luncheon with the US Attorney General.” Avery, a Project SAFE member, serves as pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Salisbury. Ms. Wagoner recognizes the accomplishments of her community by proudly declaring, “Salisbury is definitely a shining star in the Project Safe neighborhoods effort, not only in the Middle District of NC, but throughout our state and nation. I was so thrilled that Attorney General Gonzales singled out Salisbury in his speech, for its leadership and innovation in developing "follow-up" notifications that help keep identified violent offenders crime free. It truly is gratifying to know that someone in Washington is paying attention and recognizing the great things that are going on in our smaller communities.” 

Continuing, Ms. Wagoner further expressed that she looks forward to continuing PSN work in Salisbury and working with the "team" to exercise the same framework and energy to address other law enforcement problems-namely gangs. “Salisbury is proof of the power and promise of the PSN strategy. All of us-federal and local law enforcement, prosecutors and most importantly, our community, are reaping rewards by working together on this initiative---reducing violent and gun related crime while working together with a unity of purpose and determination that gun violence will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods.”  Additional Project SAFE Salisbury team members attending the conference were William Peoples, NAACP; William Moore, Chief of Livingstone College Law Enforcement, Deloris Foxx, Livingstone College Law Enforcement; Karen Carpenter, Youth Services Bureau; Lt. David Belk and Detective Todd Sides, Salisbury Police Department; and Rodney Nunn, PSN Advisory Committee.

Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment dedicated to reducing gun crime in America.  The plan calls for a locally organized task force with federal backing to reduce gun violence by using federal, state and local resources. The Bush Administration committed over $1 billion to this effort in its first 4 years for the utilization of hiring new federal and state prosecutors, support investigators, training provisions, distribution of gun lock safety kits, deterrence of juvenile gun crime, and the development and promotion of community outreach efforts. As part of the project, violent convicted felons attend a community notification session, where they are informed that they could face federal charges for the crimes which they have committed.  The structured gathering includes an opening segment by volunteer community representatives who offer assistance, compassion and sincere concern for the welfare of their community and the future of those notified.  Immediately following, law enforcement and prosecutors promise stiff punishment for those who continue to commit violence. Project SAFE increases federal, state and local law enforcement resources to vigorously prosecute repeat violent and group offenders who use guns in committing crimes.  At the same time, it identifies the people involved in violent crimes in the past and, through a community intervention team, makes them aware of resources that are available to help them stay out of trouble. 

Salisbury held its first PSN notification meeting in November 2003 and of the 19 violent offenders identified by local probation officers, all were in attendance. Of the nineteen in attendance, nine asked for help from the community. The resources available include providing help toward a general equivalency diploma, job training, employment, parenting, day care, alcohol or drug treatment, counseling, anger management, mentoring, tutoring, housing, medical care, dental care, transportation and family assistance.  Facilitator Diggs states, "If the community can't meet some of these basic needs, it will live with a cycle of repeat offenders.”

Project SAFE is not an offer to forgive, but a way for offenders to turn their lives around. For the offenders who continue to commit acts of violence, police and prosecutors promise those in the notification meetings that they will come down hard on them in state and federal court and get them off the streets for a long time.  Ms. Wagoner adds, “A decrease in gun crime and citizen complaints are exactly the results that we are striving for ... safer streets, neighborhoods and front porches for all to enjoy."

In addition to notifications, Project SAFE Salisbury offers educational outreach sessions to the community.  Programs, designed specifically for ages, kindergarten to adult, are implemented by team volunteers striving to create awareness and preserve the safety of their community.  High energy children’s sessions include music and exercise with appearances by “McGruff” the Crime Dog and “Chipper” the Salisbury Parks & Recreation Squirrel.  Young attendees receive refreshments, Salisbury SAFE Kids Gun Safety Workbooks and learn through repetition, the four steps to take when they see a gun.  The program offers a strong marriage of volunteers and the local Police Department.  Bullet-proof vest and K-9 demonstrations offer the children insight into the life of a police officer with hopes that children will view the Police as an ally in time of need.

In response to recent signs of possible gang activity within the City, Salisbury Police Officer Todd Sides offers educational awareness sessions on gang action. In support of this outreach, Project SAFE Salisbury has designed and distributes complimentary educational guides for parents and concerned citizens regarding gang activity and awareness.  Further gang information can be accessed on the Project SAFE Salisbury website at http://www.salisburync.gov/projectsafe/safesalisbury.htm . In addition, the site offers an interactive children’s page with coloring projects, smart decision making and gun safety tips. To request children’s workbooks, gang awareness booklets or to receive more information regarding Project SAFE Salisbury, please contact Karen Wilkinson at 704-638-2113 or via email at kwilk@salisburync.gov.
 

An apparently random kidnapping and beating of a Salisbury man may be part of a growing problem in the city and surrounding areas: gang activity. In the past six months, Salisbury police have identified at least 13 active, organized gangs in the area and now are working on plans to combat the problem. Since the investigation is active, police don't want to be any more specific.

"Colors" -- such as full body camouflage clothing with matching masks, white T-shirts or blue bandannas -- have surfaced. Graffiti is turning up on Salisbury streets and buildings. The gangs bear names like East Spencer Posse and MS-13, police said. As with all gangs, drugs and guns are income sources, authorities say.

Investigators have identified gang members from Virginia, Maryland and California who have come here to recruit, Salisbury Police Chief Mark Wilhelm says. Police attribute the rise in activity here at least partly to the large number of group homes. The group homes, with youth who are thirsty for acceptance, "make Salisbury a good target," Wilhelm says.

Some youth look to gangs for "protection, status, credibility and need," Lt. Mike Dummett says. A majority of the members police have identified are younger than 18.  Some the groups are more organized than others, says Salisbury Police Lt. David Belk. At least one gang meets on a regular basis. The department is examining ways to combat the problem, including reallocation of officers in certain areas, Wilhelm says.

"My preliminary plan is to start out with adding one position to the street drug unit, and that position will serve as the intelligence officer for gathering information concerning these different groups," Wilhelm said. That officer also will be responsible for passing along the information to patrol officers. So far, police have not seen gangs directing violence against each other. Instead, gang members have targeted residents and police.

Dummett says the gang members like publicity and being known. "It's not like conventional crime where (the criminal) tries to hide." For gang members, it serves no purpose to commit a crime without letting it be known, he says. An assault on a police officer gives a gang member credibility. Wilhelm said some Salisbury Police officers have been threatened.

In the past month, members of law enforcement gang units in Durham, Winston-Salem and Wilson visited Salisbury to review the problem. Dummett rode with officers, showing them graffiti and other gang signs in Salisbury and East Spencer, he said. "Based on what they saw, they said we have the beginnings of a gang problem," Dummett said. The experts also looked at possible solutions the department has considered and agreed the department is on the right track.

Signs of possible gang activity have been seen in the past, but the city "has never had the problem at this level," Wilhelm said. "We're past the point of saying it's not here. "We're trying to be proactive before it spirals out of control."

Reward offered

Police are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone involved in the beating of Gregorio Duran last week. Investigators say the beating was a random act and believe it was part of a gang initiation. Duran, 33, suffered multiple facial fractures during the beating and robbery, which involved several assailants using boards and other weapons.

Duran was driving on Council Street on Nov. 24 shortly after 9 p.m. when three teenage girls jumped in front of his 1999 Ford F-150 pickup at the intersection with Long Street. When Duran stopped, two men, armed with guns, jumped into the cab of the truck and another six to eight men got into the truck bed. They forced Duran to drive to a home on East Cemetery Street, where he was beaten several different times and robbed. After about 15 to 20 minutes, Duran got free and ran from his assailants. Police have not found his truck.

Police Investigator Michael Rocklin said the assailants appeared to randomly pick Duran, who has identified some suspects. Police ask anyone with information about the case to call 704-638-5333.

Contact Jonathan Weaver at 704-797-4266 or jweaver@salisburypost.com.

Visitors included McGruff the Crime Dog and the Salisbury Parks and Recreation squirrel mascot, who, along with Salisbury Police's Lt. David Belk and Karen Wilkinson with Salisbury Parks and Recreation, taught the kids four things to do if they see a gun: stop, don't touch, run and tell police.

Participants received badges and program completion certificates.  In addition, they enjoyed refreshments and goody bags including letters encouraging parents to pick up free gun locks at two recreation center locations. Forty-three gun locks have been distributed at this time.

For more information on the Salisbury SAFE Kids program or to get an educational activity book for kids, call Karen Wilkinson at 704-638-2113.

By Jonathan Weaver, Salisbury Post

A man warned by federal authorities to straighten up -- and who didn't heed the alert -- pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine.  Marcus Jermaine McDaniel, 27, of Rockwell, was charged with selling crack on three separate occasions in Salisbury between May 2003 and his arrest in March.

McDaniel was one of the original group of paroled offenders notified by the Project SAFE Salisbury/ Rowan group in November last year.  Project SAFE is a task force aimed at reducing gun violence by combining the resources of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Offenders are first warned that authorities are watching, then they are given the opportunity to turn their lives around with community resources.

Authorities said McDaniel and Edwardo Renaldo George Jr. conspired to distribute and distributed more than 50 grams of cocaine on separate occasions in 2004.  George remains at-large.

McDaniel agreed to plead guilty to the single charge, for which he could receive 20 years in federal prison. The hearing was held in Greensboro on May 7.

A court document gave the following account of the case:

In December 2003, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Salisbury Police officers interviewed a confidential source about McDaniel.  The source told authorities he had been getting crack from McDaniel since late spring or early summer of 2003. The source said he had been "fronted" ounce quantities of cocaine either weekly or bi-weekly.  The source told officers he saw McDaniel convert nine ounces of cocaine into crack on two occasions in September 2003. The powder cocaine had been picked up from a supplier in Greensboro. Authorities soon began using the informant to buy crack from McDaniel.

On Jan. 8, 2004, McDaniel sold the informant 12.8 grams of crack for $525. The sale was recorded, and authorities watched the transaction.  On Feb. 3, 2004, the source made arrangements to buy more crack, and spoke with George. McDaniel later showed up and sold 17.4 grams of crack for $900.  Authorities have said McDaniel sold crack on a third occasion, but those details were not included in the court document.  McDaniel was arrested a month later and began helping law enforcement by making phone calls to his "source of supply."  McDaniel, who was convicted in state court in 1994 for possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9.

George is on the Salisbury Police Department's Most Wanted list. Police ask anyone with information on George to call the department at 704-638-5333 or Crimestoppers at 704-638-5388.

Contact Jonathan Weaver at 704-797-4266 or jweaver@salisburypost.com.

Project SAFE Neighborhoods
Salisbury's strategy reviewed at Violence Reduction Summit; city commended on success of program
May 25, 2004

DURHAM -- Salisbury leaders and citizens showcased their Project SAFE Neighborhoods strategy before a crowd of more than 200 during last week's Violence Reduction Summit in Durham.

Sponsored by the United States Attorney's Office, Middle District of North Carolina Project SAFENeighborhood advisory team and the Durham Police Department, the one-day training seminar brought communities in the Middle District together to learn from and plan with each other.

According to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office, members of the Salisbury Project SAFEteam gave an in-depth review of Salisbury's method for tackling violence.

Mayor Susan Kluttz illustrated the remarkable success rate of the Salisbury strategy which is unique among Project SAFE programs.

Salisbury is the only town holding follow-up notification meetings for the community and former offenders. During notifications, offenders and former offenders are identified and brought together. The community and law enforcement put offenders on notice that any violations which involve a gun will be met with the toughest prosecution and sentencing available, but if they choose a crime-free life, they are offered job and educational assistance, family and community support.

Team facilitator Henry Diggs challenged the audience to live up to its promises and never offer anything that "you can't or won't provide or follow through" with.

Another unique strategy component for Salisbury is a city job commitment. During the first re-call notification, the city announced that it would meet or match business commitments and dedicated two jobs to offenders who successfully completed notification and requested help. This is significant as most governing authorities have prohibitions against employment of convicted felons.

Other team members from Salisbury who helped with the presentation included Police Chief Mark Wilhelm, Lt. David Belk of the Salisbury Police Department; District Attorney Bill Kenerly; Melissa Taylor of the City of Salisbury; Rusty Orrell, chief parole and probation officer for Rowan County, Division of Community Corrections; William Peoples, NAACP; Teresa Vinson, resource coordinator, Salisbury Project SAFENeighborhoods; Bryan Duncan, Salisbury-Rowan Community Service council; and Rodney Nunn, community representative.

United States Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner said that Salisbury's success rate is remarkable. To date, only one offender who went through the Salisbury notification is back in jail. And after adopting the program in Salisbury, homicides dropped to one for last year.

Wagoner said that Salisbury's achievements are a direct result of the teamwork and partnerships which are so visible and active in Salisbury.

"It takes everyone working together, and you have that in Salisbury," she said.

By Mark Wineka, Salisbury Post

U.S. District Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner has commended the city of Salisbury's Project SAFE strategy to reduce gun violence.  "You don't realize how far ahead Salisbury is" over five other communities involved with Project SAFE in North Carolina, Wagoner told Salisbury City Council at its retreat last week.  Wagoner, a former Salisbury attorney and District Court judge, said federal people involved with the program have been "blown away" at the leadership and attitude Salisbury has shown.

Project SAFE steps up the federal, state and local law enforcement resources to vigorously prosecute repeat violent and group offenders who use guns in committing crimes.  At the same time, it identifies the people involved in violent crimes in the past in and, through a community intervention team, makes them aware of resources that are available to help them stay out of trouble.  Salisbury Police nearly tripled the number of illegal guns it seized in 2003, just by having more officers trained in asking the right questions and getting consent to make searches during arrests.

Salisbury held its first notification meeting in November, and all 19 offenders identified showed up at the meeting. Wagoner said of 125 previous notifications held elsewhere, Salisbury is the first to have all of its identified offenders to attend, and she credited the hard work of local probation officers.  Mayor Susan Kluttz said she has been surprised to see how young the past offenders still are and suggested that Project SAFE might offer some hope they've never had before.  Salisbury Police Lt. David Belk said most of the offenders are in their 20s.

Henry Diggs has been heading the community resources effort as a volunteer. His intervention teams make resources available to the identified offenders, if they want them. Of the 19 offenders at the first notification meeting, nine asked for help.  The resources include providing help toward a general equivalency diploma, job training, employment, parenting, day care, alcohol or drug treatment, counseling, anger management, mentoring, tutoring, housing, medical care, dental care, transportation and family assistance.  "We have people in the community who have stepped up to the plate," Diggs said, also commending Salisbury City Council for its strong support. If the community can't meet some of these basic needs, it will live with a cycle of repeat offenders, Diggs added.  Diggs said Project SAFE Salisbury will soon have a paid community resource coordinator.

Wagoner said the strategy's future focus must continue to be on community resources, especially job development.

For the offenders who continue to commit acts of violence, police and prosecutors promise those in the notification meetings that they will come down hard on them in state and federal court and get them off the streets for a long time.  If Project SAFE turns around the lives of even one or two people, the community will be safer, Diggs said.

Project SAFE will soon have two billboards on Interstate 85 and two on Innes Street that promote the strategy. Officials plan to meet with a second group of offenders in May.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263 or mwineka@salisburypost.com.

Project SAFE
Dec. 21, 2003

By Jonathan Weaver, Salisbury Post

A violent-crime reduction project recently introduced in Rowan County has shown promise nationally, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said in a press release. In the last three years, federal gun prosecutions have risen by 68 percent nationally, according to United States Department of Justice statistics. Between 2002 and 2003, federal firearms prosecutions have increased nearly 24 percent.

Officials credit Project SAFE Neighborhoods, an initiative that Rowan County has embraced during the past two years.  Project SAFE Neighborhoods Salisbury/Rowan is a locally organized and federally backed task force aimed at reducing gun violence by using federal, state and local resources.

As part of the project, violent convicted felons are notified that they could face federal charges for the crimes they have committed.  The local group held its first notification meeting recently, and a follow-up meeting with the original group is planned for the spring, said Salisbury Police Lt. David Belk.  During the gathering, the group heard from community representatives, who offered help, and from law enforcement and prosecutors, who promised stiff punishment for those who continue their violent ways.

In the Middle District of North Carolina, which includes Rowan County, firearm prosecutions have risen more than 100 percent since 2000. In the first half of 2003, 100 percent of convicted gun offenders were sent to prison.  In Winston-Salem and High Point, two other cities using the Project SAFENeighborhoods strategies, violent crime dropped 45 percent in 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Durham, another Project SAFENeighborhoods site, has seen violent crime reductions this year.

"The decrease in gun crime and citizen complaints are exactly the results that we are striving for ... safer streets, neighborhoods and front porches for all to enjoy,"said U.S. North Carolina Middle District Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner, a former Chief District Court Judge in Rowan County.  Wagoner has pledged support from her office in the local project.

Contact Jonathan Weaver at 704-797-4266 or jweaver @salisburypost.com

Website last updated on 2/7/08 by K. Wilkinson/Communications Team.

 Visitors to this site are now more informed about Project SAFE Salisbury.