Community Safety Update – Sept 2023

Presented to: Westside Neighbors United Monthly Meeting
Monday, September 11th
Greater Zion Hill Baptist Church

View Presentation here: Westside Neighbors United

• Office Representatives
• Specialized Prosecution Units
  • New Initiative from DA Howard
    • Began on January 1, 2023
    • Major crimes division split into focused prosecution teams.
    • Based on the idea that prosecutors who were focused in certain areas could
      • be more educated in that area,
      • have a greater connection with the law enforcement who is also typically focused by crime type, and
      • the recommendations/resolutions of the cases would be more consistent.
  • Units
    • Homicide Unit all crimes involving death
      • Lead ADAs: Tony May & Dawn Baskin
    • Special Victims Unit all crimes against children and all adult sex offenses
      • Lead ADA: Breanna Foster
    • Domestic Violence Unit all crimes involving crimes between domestic partners or family members •
      • Lead ADA: Amber Cook
    • Serious Violent Felony Unit crimes involving firearms, weapons, violent thefts and gang prosecutions
      • Lead ADAs: Tommy Williams & Kyle Owenby
      • Gang Violence Lead ADA: Taylor Wilson
    • Crimes against Administration status offenses (failure to register/ possess firearm by CF) and terroristic threats
    • Specialized Prosecution Units have helped our office improve community safety by closing more cases, year over year. S
  • Compared to the year before, our Specialized Units are projected to have increased their closed cases significantly:
    • Special Victims
      • 2019: 53 closed cases
      • 2023: 96 closed cases
      • 81.1% increase in closed cases
    • Domestic Violence
      • 2019: 60 closed cases
      • 2023: 125 closed cases
      • 108.3% increase in closed cases
    • Serious Violent Felony
      • 2019: 199 closed cases
      • 2023: 425 closed cases
      • 113.6% increase in closed cases
    • Homicide
      • 2019: 20 closed cases
      • 2023: 44 closed cases
      • 120% increase in closed cases
    • Crimes against Administration
      • 2019: 175 closed cases
      • 2023: 240 closed cases
      • 37.1% increase in closed cases
    • Total
      • 2019: 507 closed cases
      • 2023: 930 closed cases
      • 83.4% increase in closed cases
  • Compared to years prior to DA Howard’s election, our office has already met/exceeded an entire years of work in half a years’ time. (Numbers Generated June 30, 2023)
    
    • 2019: 42.25 cases closed/month
    • 2023: 77.5 cases closed/month
  • R.I.S.E. Initiative
    • What is RISE
      • “You cannot prosecute your way to a safer community” – DA Anita Howard
      • R.I.S.E. is improving public safety through protecting the most vulnerable.
      • With R.I.S.E., we match children who are impacted by the secondary victimization of violent crime with resources and positive experiences including mentorship, counseling, and summer camps.
  • Become a R.I.S.E. Ambassador
    • 1. Help Spread the Word
    • 2. Refer a Child to R.I.S.E.
    • 3. Prepare Informational Packets
    • 4. Assist in Outreach Events
  • Stay Informed
    • Regular Publications from Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office:
      • Justice Journal (Every 2 years)
      • The Brief (Every quarter)
    • Sign up to get our newsletters on public safety and community events

View Presentation here: Westside Neighbors United