From Trussville Tribune staff reports
CENTER POINT — With public safety at the forefront of the perception of Center Point, Mayor Tom Henderson has called for the big guns.
Mayor Tom Henderson
The United States Department of Justice has agreed to lend a hand in helping the city to evaluate the current state of the city in regards to its public safety practices. The DOJ’s Diagnostics Center will be looking at what the city is currently doing, and will then give a report on how to best implement strategies to curb the issues.
Henderson met with Alabama Senator Luther Strange Tuesday, and following that meeting, Henderson announced the Diagnostic Center had agreed to help.
“The center’s expertise and resources will be invaluable to the city as we address crime prevention strategies,” Henderson said. “It allows us to review the issues our community faces and find new and innovative solutions to overcome them.”
Henderson said Senators Strange and Richard Shelby, along with Representative Terri Sewell were instrumental in getting Center Point into this program.
“Center Point was already working with my office while serving as (Alabama) Attorney General,” Strange said. “I am pleased to continue my work with Mayor Henderson to address local law enforcement issues.”
Center Point is the first city in Alabama to be given assistance from the Diagnostic Center. To date, the center has assisted 28 other communities. The purpose of the center is to serve as a technical resource to provide local leaders with customized training in addressing emerging public safety problems.
Residents in the city have recently increased the visibility of their concern through social media, and Henderson has continued to stress the steps the city has taken to combat the rising issues. This is the latest step taken, along with the purchase of two cameras designed to monitor activity in high crime areas.
City officials will meet with representatives from the Diagnostic Center in June to begin the process of gathering data for analysis.
5 Comments
Ron Hyche
I wonder if Center Point is going to have a citizens advisory board to meet with the DOJ also?
Melanie Gilbert
Would ya lookie there Scooby.
Its about to get very interesting in Center Point.
Dennis Sherrod
Hesitantly optimistic that this may help. Let’s hope it is not just more talk from the mayor, trying to appease the masses, and ignoring the solutions that will be proposed by DOJ. But, left to question, is why did the mayor continuously wait and wait and wait until social media has raised enough cane? How did every citizen see this coming for the past several years and the city is just now taking a major step?
Kevin Small
Two questions:
1. Is it too little too late? Seriously why did it take this Mayor so long to get off his revenue scheme to see the city had become unsafe?
2. Do you think the DOJ is gonna be impressed with the Mayor taking a hard line on stop sign running whilst ignoring crime and violence?
Briana Moore
Wishing them luck.