Peace In the Streets

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been interested in law enforcement for quite a while. And the more I study criminal justice issues, the more I become fascinated with community policing. For those of you who don’t know, community policing is "a policing strategy and philosophy based on the notion that community interaction and support can help control crime and reduce fear, with community members helping to identify suspects, detain vandals and bring problems to the attention of police."

Some people don’t like the idea of community policing because they’ve been taught to mind their own business. But there comes a point where those people have to draw the line between minding their own business and standing up for the safety of the community. It’s my belief that people have a lot more power over crime than they realize, but they’ve been sucked into this lie that they should mind their own business.

This issue of community policing really hit home when I started going to Crossroads Bible College because it’s on a side of town that isn’t the greatest. Eastgate Mall sits abandoned right across the street from the college, down the street there’s a motel that’s been shut down by the city and fenced off, and there are houses in need of dire repair. But I started to really have an affection for the neighborhood when I started volunteering at Shepherd Community down the street, I really began to feel like I had some ownership in the community. When I did the Grace Staff Day of Service at Shepherd, I was able to see the community in which the Shepherd staff lived, how they were planting roots in the community and working to make their homes and community a better place.

I was in chapel the other day when our college president presented us with the "Faith-Based Covenant With the Community." It’s being done by the City of Peace Coalition and is between faith-based organizations and Marion County. I wanted to post it here on my blog so that you can see what some people are wanting to step up and do to help their communities. Maybe it will serve as an inspiration for you if you live in one of these communities or it may stir your heart to get involved with urban ministry. It’s a huge task, but with the community and police working together, we can make our neighborhood safer.

FAITH-BASED COVENANT WITH THE COMMUNITY

WE, as a faith community, enter into this covenant with the community at large to play our part in making Marion County safer;

WE reject deviant behavior that preys upon the young, the elderly, and defenseless in our community;

WE urge all people of goodwill, honesty, dignity, nobility, peace, hope, and love to stand with us as we refuse to accept this kind of behavior;

WE recognize that reducing crime in our community is a challenge that will require community, businesses, government, law enforcement, and all sectors of the faith community working in partnership;

WE call on our community to enter into covenant agreement with us in order to help us reduce violence in Marion County;

WE, as a faith community, will provide

1. Safe havens for youth.
2. Employ street outreach workers to directly interface with those involved or potentially involved in criminal behavior.
3. Organize and facilitate faith walks to continually remind our community that there is hope and alternatives to violence.
4. A connection to those in need of employment, resources, and social services.

 

WE call on Black Males and others to join us in this covenant by

1. Ending the senseless killing of one another.
2. Ending the phenomenon known as "deadbeat" dads.
3. Being responsible role models for their children.
4. Making a decision to be a positive on-going constructive presence in the lives of their children.
5. Working to eliminate the unlawful buying, selling, and use of firearms.
6. Putting an end to the glorification of gangster images.
7. Cease the unlawful buying, selling, and distribution of drugs in the community.

 

WE call on individuals in the neighborhoods to partner with us by

1. Getting to know your neighbors.
2. Joining, participate in and/or establishing crime/neighborhood watch teams.
3. Reporting crimes and criminal activity that take place in the neighborhood.
4. Join in the effort to eradicate abandoned homes, drug houses and dark streets.

 

WE call on parents and families to join us in this covenant by

1. Establishing a curfew for your children.
2. Making education a priority by encouraging children to stay in school.
3. Becoming aware of your child’s friends and activities.
4. Promoting and modeling abstinence and rejecting a culture of promiscuity; teen and unwed pregnancies.
5. Removing the images and glorification of gangster life in the household.
6. Making sure our children are safe and nurtured.