RFP Staff
♦ Yesterday we received a gang alert advisory from a local neighborhood group. They were advised by the Salisbury Police Department that gang activity was on the upswing and that neighbors need to be vigilant. The recent killing of Marquis Antonio Feamster, 23, shot to death in a backyard on the 300 block East Fisher Street is said to be directly connected to a series of gunshots on West McCubbins Street during the same time frame. Also a recent shooting on West Thomas Street left a bullet hole in a home. The gang crime is basically gang on gang however the police are concerned about stray bullets and being caught in crossfires.
Elsewhere we learned this is also “gang initiation” time in Salisbury, N.C. and rival gangs may be vying for top dog status.
People living in neighborhoods regularly affected by gang activity need to be alert and aware. It is important at this time to activate to Town Watch groups if you have not already done so. If you see suspicious activity report it to your neighborhood police liaison officer. General Office: 704-638-5333. In a police emergency call 911.
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An upcoming meeting of major importance in Salisbury for those affected by crime and gang violence:
A MEETING TO RESTORE HOPE AND BRING POSITIVE CHANGE TO OUR COMMUNITIES on July 23rd at 6 P.M.
The Chamber
♦ With the increased violence occurring throughout the City, County and East Spencer, coupled with the inadequate response by our City Leaders to our concerns, The Chamber has joined with the West End Community and West End Pride Organizations to organize a Community Town Hall Meeting. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23rd from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Miller Recreation Center on West Bank Street across from the Hall’s Gym.
Leaders/Hosts that the Chamber formed an alliance with for this important game changing meeting will be Dee Dee Wright of the West End Community Organization, and Shirley McLaughlin of the West End Pride Organization. The meeting will kick off with a Gang Awareness presentation from Clee Atkinson, Jr., Master Trooper, NC State Highway Patrol and Gang/Terrorism Liaison with NC State Bureau of Investigation. This will be followed by a short presentation by Alex Clark, who will share the personal story of his 18 year Federal Prison incarceration for selling and distributing drugs.
After these presentations, we will move into a Q&A session where we encourage attendees from the various Communities to share their concerns and priority areas of focus. We will then have each attendee complete a written survey to gauge where our priority areas moving forward will be. Once the information is compiled, we will hold a follow up Town Hall meeting within 2-3 weeks to ensure we’ve captured the priority areas accurately.
Once we’ve created our priority list, we will then meet with City Leaders, the Police Chief and Sheriff to share the areas WE feel need addressing. Each Church, Greek Organization, Neighborhood Group, etc can then take these priority areas back to their respective organizations and implement interventions and solutions as they see fit.
This is an important meeting of all members of our various Communities that will lead us on the path to controlling the direction and success of our Communities. We look forward to seeing at the Miller Recreation Center on July 23rd at 6:00 p.m.
