NEWTON COUNTY — Cameras in public parks was a primary dialogue subject for the Newton County Board of Commissioners at their April 15 assembly.
With Sheriff Ezell Brown main the dialog, the board agreed that steps to place digicam methods into the county’s parks ought to be taken.
Nevertheless, because the agenda merchandise was just for dialogue, no formal vote was acceptable and there weren’t any definitive plans decided.
“We all know that it’s an issue, and we all know that our youth, in addition to the youth from the opposite counties, we all know that they’re discovering parks to congregate,” Brown stated. “That’s what occurred out at Denny Dobbs simply right here just lately, and I really feel sure that if cameras was positioned at Denny Dobbs Park…it could have prevented a whole lot of the chasing down inaccurate info.”
On Wednesday, March 19, 18-year-old Justin Etienne was shot and killed in Denny Dobbs Park throughout a “Senior Skip Day” the place quite a few excessive faculties had congregated. Etienne, a highschool senior, was a bystander when gunfire broke out. Two different excessive schoolers – 16-year-old Jarvis Hinton Jr. of Covington and 17-year-old Tashshawn Lyons from Conyers – face fees for Etienne’s homicide.
The Newton County Sheriff’s Workplace reportedly needed to sift via conflicting statements from witnesses earlier than they had been capable of monitor the accused shooters and arrest them. Hinton Jr. was arrested on March 21, whereas Lyons was not arrested till March 24.
The Districts 1 and a couple of commissioners, Stan Edwards and Demond Mason, respectively, supported the sheriff, saying that if the county needed to have the parks, then they wanted to be dedicated to conserving them secure as nicely.
“We’ve ponied up for the parks, so now we’re going to must pony up for the remainder of it too,” Edwards stated.
Each Edwards and Mason referenced the sheriff talking earlier than the county years prior, saying that Brown beforehand talked about that the parks would require extra technique of safety down the road.
“I do know a pair years in the past we did have this dialog that we had been principally in want of those, and I totally help ensuring that we discover a method to incorporate and implement these cameras all through our main parks as shortly as we presumably can,” Mason stated. “I do know this isn’t the whole answer, however it could positively assist.”
Brown appealed to the board throughout Tuesday’s assembly to persuade the commissioners to finally fund this venture, saying that the sheriff’s workplace has exhausted different means.
“Whenever you have a look at funding, we took the initiative a while in the past and now we have exhausted all of our grant fundings, these fundings that we may put in place ourselves, now we have exhausted all of that by placing cameras elsewhere,” Brown stated.
Brown did say that they’ve not less than one energy firm keen to supply help and expects that extra will come aboard sooner or later.
“I notice that there are grants on the market, however all of you understand how grants are,” Brown stated. “You may put in for it at present, you could wait six months from now, and you could obtain the grant, and you could not get the grant.
“What I see – the issue I see, we’re turning the curve, we’re across the nook. And I don’t consider that we will wait till this nook connects. I believe we have to go forward and transfer ahead now on discovering funding in order that we will put [cameras] in these parks.”
Although there was not a vote on the merchandise, not one of the commissioners spoke in opposition to Brown’s plea. It was solely requested that he later method the board with particular funding numbers when it got here time to make extra cemented selections.
“I believe if we fail to maneuver ahead on such a venture as this, I believe we might be defeated our normal goal of creating certain we hold our neighborhood secure,” Brown stated.
