Gulfport Town Hall Meeting

In the wake of recent homicides in the City of Gulfport, community leaders called on residents to unite for a roundtable discussion on how to combat acts of violence in the area.
News 25’s Kendra Turley takes us inside tonight’s crime prevention meeting at the Isaiah Fredericks Community Center.
The recent deaths of young adults in the Gulfport community motivated dozens of residents to speak out during a crime prevention meeting. Gulfport resident Spencer Williams said, “Our youth are out here running rampant. There’s things that are going on in different communities and we’re kind of like just closed behind doors.”
A panel of city officials started the meeting by stressing the importance of community engagement and providing recent statistics. Gulfport Police Chief Leonard Papania said, “Our total index of crimes are down six percent. We’re only down four percent in substantial or violent crimes. The only two categories we’ve seen a rise in is in homicide and in robbery.”
Together, community leaders and community members discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the area and brainstormed ways to be proactive throughout the community. Gulfport community leader Christene Brice said, “It brings tears to my eyes to see that these boys and girls are out here in the streets and we could be doing something positive, making a difference in their lives.”
Residents voiced one of the city’s strength as being an area with a great line of communication between its residents and its leaders. Weaknesses included minimal activities for youth to get involved in. “How can we help these kids come to a point to where we’re changing the direction that they’re headed in. That’s where we’re going to try and help them out. We’re just here to help them out,” said Williams.
Organizers of the town hall meeting hope the discussion was a step toward a positive change in the city. Gulfport Councilmember Ella Holmes-Hines said, “A lot of people will hopefully enter this room and make a commitment to stay with the City of Gulfport to make this a better city.”
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