Local organizations host first meeting for community collaborative effort, ‘The Columbus Empowerment Network’

by Corey Burres | Oct 25, 2023

Georgia news, in the news, current events, Georgia happenings, GA happenings

Local organizations host first meeting for community collaborative effort, ‘The Columbus Empowerment Network’

Representatives from Cure Violence Columbus and the Georgia Center For Opportunity are bringing what they call The Columbus Empowerment Network to the city, and they say having a collaborative like this will help the people in the community get involved and make the changes they want to see in their communities.

According to the Columbus Police Department, this year in Columbus there have been 36 murders, 25 rapes, 185 robberies, 465 aggravated assaults, 683 burglaries…..these are just a few statics from January 1st of this year through October 16th.

Columbus resident James Stokes said he saw a shooting earlier this year near Fuel Tech on Ft. Benning Road and he says it’s a normal thing…

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New community-led initiative aims to reduce crime in Columbus

by Kimberly Sawatka | Oct 24, 2023

New community-led initiative aims to reduce crime in Columbus

A new community initiative is set to launch in Columbus, but it’s not run by any one person or organization. It’s running name is the “Columbus Empowerment Initiative.”

The program is based on – but not affiliated with – a similar group in Nebraska, the Omaha Empowerment Initiative. The Nebraska-based group, also known as Omaha 360, is “focused on Collaboration, Prevention, Intervention, Enforcement Support, Reentry and Community Engagement,” according to its webpage.

Roughly 60 individuals showed up, including Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson, local philanthropists, businesspersons and other community leaders. Representatives of the Georgia Center Opportunity and Better Work Columbus were also in attendance.

“Violence, homicide in particular, is the worst thing that a human being can do to another person,” said Josh Crawford, director of criminal justice initiatives at the Georgia Center for Opportunity.

He continued, “By restoring public safety in a community with a high rate of violence, you’re really taking the first step towards making a more prosperous and flourishing community.”

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Why crime in smaller cities like Columbus matters

by David Bass | Oct 24, 2023

Why crime in smaller cities like Columbus matters

Key Points

Reducing crime and restoring community safety is vital to addressing poverty and increasing opportunity.
While major metro areas are typically the focus of crime reduction efforts, there is a need to address crime in smaller communities seeing an uptick in crime.
Columbus, GA has seen an increase in violent crime over the last 5 years.
The Columbus community and municipalities must come together to address crime and work on preventative solutions.

We know that crime in major metro areas across the United States is up. Here in Georgia, Atlanta is front and center on that issue, highlighted by a recent report by the Georgia Center for Opportunity showing a concerning rise in violent and property crime over the last few years.

While the crime problem in larger cities is crucial to address, smaller cities tend to get overlooked. Yet these cities represent a large portion of the country’s population. There are 335 cities with population levels between 100,000 and one million, but only 14 cities with populations over one million.

Take Columbus, Georgia as an example. The city’s population now stands at approximately 203,000—a slight reduction from 2020 when the population was 207,000. Since 2017, Columbus has seen a spike in crime.

The crime problem—and what to do about it—is the focus of a new GCO report. Titled “Reducing Crime in Columbus: Safer Communities Through Policy,” the report is authored by Josh Crawford, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at GCO.

Quick Facts on Crime in Columbus

Columbus saw one of its most violent years with 59 murders in 2021.
The city’s population is on the decline, correlated to the rise in violent crime.
A decrease in Columbus police has gone hand-in-hand with the crime spike.
Attempted murder convicts in Columbus who were released in 2022 only served 35% of their time.

“The human cost of this violence is dramatic, cutting lives short and leaving behind grieving families and fractured communities,” Crawford said. “The toll of violent crime goes beyond the physical cost to those directly impacted and includes financial costs to victims and taxpayers, the loss of productive years, and decreased economic mobility and growth in communities afflicted with high rates of crime.”

Access the Report:

Reducing Crime in Columbus

Our Columbus Crime Report details six practical solutions that city leaders can use to reduce crime in Columbus and restore safety, hope, and opportunity to the broader community.

Learn About the Report

Why Smaller Cities Matter

Our focus at GCO is on empowering underserved, disadvantaged, and low-income communities. By starting with Columbus, we want to equip more of these overlooked cities across Georgia and the U.S. with policy reforms that will reduce crime and restore community safety.

Six Policy Recommendations to Reduce Crime

Because Columbus is smaller, it’s easier to implement changes that would make a big difference. Success in Columbus could provide a model to inspire change in similar-sized cities.

Fixing the Columbus crime problem is about focusing on the most violent offenders. By addressing gang-related violence and solving more homicide investigations, Columbus can restore community safety, improve trust with city officials and law enforcement, and expand upward mobility and opportunity for residents.

Crawford suggests:

Addressing disrepair in Columbus’ communities by expanding cleanup efforts, tearing down or renovating abandoned buildings, and installing adequate street lighting.
Building trust between community residents and law enforcement and social services, particularly through protecting the rights of victims.
Removing egregious offenders from communities by implementing gang-enhancement provisions such as SB44 (2023) that keep these individuals incarcerated.
Improving and requiring pre-entry cognitive behavioral therapy services for all juvenile offenders, no matter how non-violent their offenses.
Reevaluating reentry programs through an external third party, examining the impact on revocation, rearrest, and reconviction.

PRESS RELEASE: New report seeks to ease spike in Columbus crime, restore community safety

by Corey Burres | Oct 24, 2023

PRESS RELEASE: New report seeks to ease spike in Columbus crime, restore community safety

Violent crime is on the rise in Columbus, Georgia. What are the reasons, and can anything be done to stop it? Those questions are the topic of a new report from the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) focused on Columbus’ recent spike in crime and ideas on how to mitigate it.

Titled “Reducing Crime in Columbus: Safer Communities Through Policy,” the report is authored by Josh Crawford, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at GCO.

Access the Report:

Reducing Crime in Columbus

Our Columbus Crime Report details six practical solutions that city leaders can use to reduce crime in Columbus and restore safety, hope, and opportunity to the broader community.

Learn More About This Report

Reducing Crime in Columbus: Safer Communities through Policy

“Since 2017, crime has been on the rise in Columbus. And it’s only gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Crawford said. “It’s imperative that city and community leaders come together to solve this problem. Our new report provides the groundwork.”

Quick Facts on Crime in Columbus

Columbus saw one of its most violent years with 59 murders in 2021.
The city’s population is on the decline, correlated to the rise in violent crime.
A decrease in Columbus police has gone hand-in-hand with the crime spike.
Attempted murder convicts in Columbus who were released in 2022 only served 35% of their time.

“The human cost of this violence is dramatic, cutting lives short and leaving behind grieving families and fractured communities,” Crawford said. “The toll of violent crime goes beyond the physical cost to those directly impacted and includes financial costs to victims and taxpayers, the loss of productive years, and decreased economic mobility and growth in communities afflicted with high rates of crime.”

Six Policy Recommendations to Reduce Crime

Fixing the Columbus crime problem is about focusing on the most violent offenders. By addressing gang-related violence and solving more homicide investigations, Columbus can restore community safety, improve trust with city officials and law enforcement, and expand upward mobility and opportunity for residents.

Crawford suggests:

Addressing disrepair in Columbus’ communities by expanding cleanup efforts, tearing down or renovating abandoned buildings, and installing adequate street lighting.
Building trust between community residents and law enforcement and social services, particularly through protecting the rights of victims.
Removing egregious offenders from communities by implementing gang-enhancement provisions such as SB44 (2023) that keep these individuals incarcerated.
Improving and requiring pre-entry cognitive behavioral therapy services for all juvenile offenders, no matter how non-violent their offenses.
Reevaluating reentry programs through an external third party, examining the impact on revocation, rearrest, and reconviction.

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About The Author

Josh Crawford

Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives

Josh Crawford is a native of Massachusetts. He went to Penn State for his undergraduate degree and then finished law school in Boston. After a brief stint in Sacramento, California, working in the county district attorney’s office, Josh moved to Kentucky to help start the Pegasus Institute, a nonpartisan organization designed to promote opportunity. In addition to serving as executive director of the organization, Josh had a special focus on criminal justice policy.

“By focusing on public safety and order, we can restore hope and opportunity to rural communities.”

The Ripple Effect of Local Philanthropy

by Kimberly Sawatka | Oct 5, 2023

The Ripple Effect of Local Philanthropy

Reflecting on her two-month tenure, Ms. T remarked, “Things are going great. I’m beyond pleased with the job. It’s hard to believe it’s approaching two months; it feels longer.”

The center emphasizes that continuous backing, via one-time or recurring donations, provides stability.

Beyond finanial aid, it encourages mentorship and volunteering, allowing hte community to aid peers in their ascent from poverty. To collaborate with the Georgia Center for Opportunity, reach out to Info@foropportunity.org or dial 770-242-0001.

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*See pages 54-55

Empowering South Columbus Through Collaboration: C3 Job Fair Success

by Kimberly Sawatka | Aug 28, 2023

C3 job fair, Columbus ga, better work Columbus

Empowering South Columbus Through Collaboration: C3 Job Fair Success

Key Points

Community Collaboration for Empowerment: The Collaborative Community Connection (C3) organized a successful job fair in South Columbus through a partnership involving various entities, including the City of Columbus Parks and Recreation, Boys and Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley, Goodwill Southern Rivers, YMCA of Metro Columbus GA, BETTER WORK Columbus team, and more.
Diverse Employment Opportunities: The job fair showcased a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, law enforcement, and retail, providing immediate employment opportunities.
Impact and Hope for Neglected Community: Better Work Columbus played a significant role in assisting job seekers and facilitating connections with potential employers. Beyond the event’s surface, the job fair highlighted the significance of community support for an often-neglected area.

In a display of community solidarity, the Collaborative Community Connection (C3) recently hosted a transformative job fair at the Frank Chester Recreation Center. This dynamic partnership, comprising entities such as the City of Columbus Parks and Recreation, Boys and Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley, Goodwill Southern Rivers, YMCA of Metro Columbus GA, our BETTER WORK Columbus team and more, united to channel resources where they’re needed most in South Columbus. The event’s spotlight shone on a diverse range of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, law enforcement, and retail, all of which offered immediate employment opportunities. With local employers like Pratt and Whitney, Aflac, and Kia in attendance, the job fair collectively sought to fill over 2,000 positions.

One organization that played a pivotal role in the success of the event was Better Work Columbus. Their on-site assistance and support proved invaluable in helping job seekers navigate the job fair and connect with potential employers.The job fair’s impact reverberated beyond the surface, as it underscored the importance of community support in an area that has often faced neglect. By uniting organizations with a shared goal of upliftment, C3 demonstrated their unwavering belief in the untapped potential and inherent value of South Columbus residents.

Beyond the event’s surface, the job fair highlighted the significance of community support for an often-neglected area. It emphasized the belief in the potential of South Columbus residents and demonstrated that collaborative efforts can lead to transformative change and a brighter future for the community.

The C3 job fair not only provided a platform for individuals to secure gainful employment but also symbolized a beacon of hope for an often-overlooked community. It signified that collaborative efforts, like those of C3, can bridge gaps, open doors, and amplify voices that deserve to be heard. As this successful event has shown, when a community comes together with dedication and purpose, it can spark transformative change and pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future.