State leader, organizations send letter to Jacksonville city leaders with strategies to curb crime

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Neighbors, local organizers and leaders are crying out for Jacksonville city leaders to help save our children.

This comes as the victims of violent crime in our city are getting younger and younger.

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On Monday evening, four organizations and state Rep. Angie Nixon sent a letter to Mayor Lenny Curry, Sheriff Mike Williams and City Council President Sam Newby, proposing seven strategies they believe could help curb some of the crime and violence in our city.

Action News Jax’s Courtney Cole spoke to Ms. Beverly McClain, the founder of Families of Slain Children, Inc., one of the organizations supporting the solutions in the letter.

She hopes those strategies can help ensure no new names are added to the memorial wall outside of her center.

McClain told Cole there are about 3,000 names listed on the wall. Each name represents someone’s child that was killed due to gun violence.

Right now, there are at least 2,000 more names that need to be added.

“I talk about my son every day. I asked the Lord to hug him and kiss him, because I miss him,” McClain said to Cole.

Beverly McClain’s son, Andre Lynn Johnson, was killed in 2005.

“But one day, we will be together again,” McClain said lovingly.

Some days can be painful and overwhelming for McClain, but in her own tragedy, she found her mission: helping other parents with the same experience.

She then created Families for Slain Children, Inc.

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“You’ve been doing this for 17 years. This is tough. What keeps you going?” Cole asked.

“I stay in my church. They call me, come see me, and I have the mothers come in here and love on me and wait on me and want to make sure I’m OK, you know? But I’m trying to make sure they’re OK. It is hard,” McClain said.

Ms. Beverly’s organization — along with Moms Demand Action, Silent Women Speaking, and S.W.A.V.G., sent the letter.

The letter laid out these seven strategies to help cut down on crime:

• Work with families who have been impacted by gun violence. Have quarterly or bi-annual meetings regarding programs, etc. to start no later than June 30, 2022.
• Establish a committee/task force where impacted individuals can work with officials on solutions by Aug. 30, 2022.
• Analyze the effectiveness of the City’s Cure Violence Initiative and work to adjust and modify the program for success.
• Establish a task force with the City and potentially the Chamber of Commerce to recruit businesses to Northwest Jacksonville and the Westside by Sept. 30, 2022.
• Promote more programs that are available for small business owners and parents.
• Have the Kid’s Hope Alliance provide extended programming hours, as many of the programs end at noon. Provide additional funding for summer camp programs that operate beyond 6 p.m. for families that work nontraditional hours.
• Roll out a citywide education campaign on secure gun storage to help prevent unintentional shootings and firearms being stolen from vehicles. Be SMART is a great resource that can be shared easily, as DCPS has recently shared with families: besmartforkids.org.

While they wait to learn how city leadership will respond, Ms. Beverly, as the community affectionately refers to her, said she’ll continue to do everything she can to provide the support that is so desperately needed.

“We’re here for you, I don’t care what time it is, when it is, where it is, we’re coming,” McClain said.

Cole reached out to the mayor’s office, the sheriff’s office and Council President Newby.

The sheriff’s office confirmed Sheriff Williams did receive the letter and has plans to speak with Nixon and the other organizations.

Nixon also confirmed the sheriff has plans to meet with them next week.

If you want to know how you can help Ms. Beverly, donate. Aside from grief counseling, support group meetings and a “safe space,” she also provides food and clothes to anyone in need as well.

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