COLUMBUS, Ga.(WRBL) - Recently, Muscogee County has experienced a rise in violence. There have been 10 homicides for the year, and four in the month of February.
Several shootings have taken place this week in Muscogee County, leaving multiple people injured and several dead. Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman has noticed the uptick in violence this week and is working on a plan to get a handle on what's going on in the community. Countryman says if we've had one homicide or murder then that's one too many.
"I sat back over the past few weeks and I don't want to blame anyone because I don't think that we can point a finger at anyone. I think that our law enforcement personnel are doing an outstanding job, but when you have the level of violence that we have going on in our city, I think it's time we re-look at the way we are doing things,"
Countryman has decided to put out a quarterly report on what the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office is doing. The sheriff wants to allow the public to see what it is they are doing so they can feel safe in knowing that officials are doing what they need to do to combat crime. Countryman wants to formulate an achievable and sustainable plan to where deputies can combat crime.
Countryman says he is tired of all of the violence.
'I'm at a point right now where I'm sick and tired of seeing what I see. I'm sick and tired of hearing what I hear. I carved out 60 days for me to deal with admin issues, it seems like I'm going to have to postpone a lot of those to turn my attention to crime," Countryman said.
Countryman wants to be an extra layer of coverage for the Columbus Police Department. He believes CPD and everyone else are overwhelmed. One way Countryman plans to combat crime is by starting tip line. Most people who witness or have information on a crime are afraid to come forward and inform officers because they fear for their safety. The new tip line will allow those to anonymously come forward and share information that they feel will be beneficial. To ensure the safety of the anonymous callers, the tip line will not call back.
Countryman says that citizens know a lot more about a crime than what they will tell law enforcement. By informing law enforcement on the who, when , what , where, why and how, they will help law enforcement to put their cases together better. Whenever there is a murder/ homicide CPD works tirelessly until they can find the suspect/suspects involved in the crime.
"We can't make excuses about where we are, this is serious. The public doesn't want to hear how did we get here now , we are here now and we need to work together," Countryman said.
Countryman is working with several groups to help interrupt violence within the community. He's working with one group today called Cure Violence. Countryman believes that crime must be looked at holistically, he believes mental health and gang activity are the root to some of the violence here in Columbus. The sheriff says he is committed to working with every resource possible to help put an end to the high rate of crime.
"I would say it's a combination of everything that we have this impulsiveness about killing. This impulsive behavior about taking the life of someone. What some are failing to realize, you're not just taking the life of another person. You took the life of everybody that loves you, now you have just killed everybody else's life around you. Your parents, your mother, your father, your children...who's going to be there to raise them now?," Countryman said.
Countryman has spoken with the District Attorney's Office and Police Chief Freddie Blackmon is waiting to find out who the new U.S. attorney for the Georgia middle district. He wants to prosecute those in the community who are participating in gun violence and violent crimes. He wants these individuals to be prosecuted at the federal level, and he wants these individuals to do the time for the crime.
Countryman has asked his command staff to meet with him next week to begin working and implementing their new plan to combat violent crime in the community.
"We have bad behavior in our community that needs to be checked and as Sheriff, I'm going to check that," Countryman said.
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