TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - As law enforcement faces violence on the front lines, a group of community activists is working to heal the issues that cause crime.
The group Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice held a member meeting Monday night. They're working to help people heal from loss and make changes to prevent it in the future.
"My daughter and my grandson were murdered in 1998," said Agnes Furey.
"My dad was murdered on the south side of town in Tallahassee by my step-brother," said Doris Strong.
'Victim' is a word Furey and Strong never thought would apply to them, but when tragedy hits, it's doesn't discriminate.
Now, they're both Regional Chapter Coordinators for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. The group holds meetings and events to help crime victims heal.
"We just had the big walk to the Capitol in February, which was awesome," said Strong. "[What helps is] just speaking out; have the survivors be heard about what they want."
One of the group's main goals is to get more trauma centers built in the area.
"Rather than thinking, 'I've got to call hotlines or I've got to look it up,' that's a little intimidating," said Furey. "So many young people are traumatized not so much by a specific crime, but just by living in a violent environment."
The women say the meetings they hold aren't just about healing survivors of crime; it's about helping perpetrators. The women say they're victims, too.
"Studies show that 53% of people who are survivors, rather than want mass incarceration, want rehabilitation and recovery," said Furey.
"A lot of crime comes from traumatization," said Strong. "A lot of children are traumatized when they're young and it's never treated. I think if we're heard, more healing will come."
Preventing painful loss and solving crime, one voice at a time.
You can attend a healing meeting or join in on the Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice's activism by clicking here.
