SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL — A new initiative is uniting neighbors, faith leaders, and law enforcement to discuss ways to improve the Greater Bond Community.
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For more than four decades, Deidre Powell has called Greater Bond home. She has watched the neighborhood change over the years, and she says there's one issue she believes continues to fuel crime: abandoned homes.
"...Tear it down or fix it up or give it to the students to work on or whatever, so I figure that's a good way to help crime," Powell said.
Powell was one of dozens of residents who attended the tentatively-named Bond Community Rising meeting. Organizers say the initiative goes beyond responding to violence. It's bringing churches, residents, nonprofits, and law enforcement together to address the root causes of crime.
During the meeting, residents broke into small groups alongside law enforcement to identify the community's biggest concerns, including building positive relationships with officers outside of emergencies, reducing gang and drug activity, and creating more opportunities for underserved youth.
"Because one thing we want to make clear, this is not a government or law enforcement initiative. It is driven because of...the church leaders to the community that are living here are saying we want something done in our community," Leon County Sheriff's Office Undersheriff Argatha Gilmore said.
The effort will continue through early 2027 with neighborhood outreach, community meetings, and resource connections. But after years of similar initiatives, many neighbors question what makes this effort different.
Gilmore says the answer is a community-driven approach built on long-term partnerships.
"It's resurgence of unity. We have to unite together, and I think what happens is sometimes we expect thousands and hundreds to help a movement in a community when sometimes it takes a few committed, concerned citizens who say we want to make a difference," Gilmore said.
The next community meeting is set for July 13 at Trinity United Presbyterian Church. The initiative is currently in its first phase, focusing on building connections with churches, identifying each congregation's strengths, and connecting them with a dedicated law enforcement liaison before starting community outreach this fall.
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