Macon‑Bibb reports sharp drop in homicides as Macon Violence Prevention program expands youth, mental‑health and technology efforts

At a March 4, 2025 pre‑commission meeting, Macon‑Bibb County leaders gave an update on the Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) program and reported measurable declines in violent crime since 2022 as they outlined continuing investments in youth services, mental‑health supports and public‑safety technology.

Mayor (not specified) told commissioners that “Since 2022, the overall homicide rate has decreased by 45%,” and said the county’s youth homicide rate for those 18 and younger “is down by 87%,” falling from 15 youth homicide victims in 2022 to two in 2024. The mayor said the county reduced homicides from 71 in 2022 to 39 in the most recent year, and emphasized that, despite progress, “we're not where we want to be.”

The update framed the reductions as the result of a multipronged strategy that combines community grants, school and nonprofit partnerships, and new technology. Jeremy Grissom, MVP coordinator, summarized the program’s approach and said the initiative has “provided safety equipment to support our law enforcement partners as it relates to camera systems, ShotSpotter, things of that nature,” and that the county has focused resources at “centers of crime.”

District Attorney Anita Howard said ShotSpotter evidence changed the outcome of a recent trial. “ShotSpotter made the difference in that case,” Howard told the commission. “If we would not have had that, it would have been a not guilty verdict.” She said jurors who heard the technology’s evidence asked for ShotSpotter to be installed in more locations.

Sheriff David Davis described how law‑enforcement technology is being used alongside community programs. He said the sheriff’s office operates nearly 200 Flock Safety license‑plate reading cameras across the county, reporting “over 6,200 hits on stolen cars” that led to recovery of vehicles and arrests. On other metrics he reported that the SRT unit made 787 arrests last year, recovered 126 firearms and recovered more than 40 stolen vehicles. Davis said the sheriff’s office would review ShotSpotter data to inform any expansion of its coverage area.

The Community Foundation of Central Georgia, a principal grant administrator for MVP, told the commission that it has distributed large sums to local nonprofits. Catherine Dennis, president of the Community Foundation, said the foundation and county launched the program with “an initial grant of $2,500,000” and that the commission later awarded “an additional $500,000” for a third grant round. She said, across three cycles, the foundation has awarded “over $2,500,000 to 40 unique organizations,” and announced a third round of grants totaling $855,500 on July 31, 2024.

Grantees described program activity and results. Najeeva Timothy, executive director of Girls Dig Deeper Initiative, said the group has expanded from one school to serving four Macon‑Bibb schools with one‑on‑one and group mentoring, summer programming and mental‑health support. Dr. Irvin Clowers, director of Men About Change, said the organization averages about 75 children daily during the school year and served roughly 100 children per day in summer programming after receiving MVP funding; he also said the program’s summer feeding initiative served nearly 2,500 meals per day and employed 15 high‑school students at $8 per hour.

The presentation credited collaborative work among the county, the sheriff’s office, the district attorney’s office, the public schools and dozens of nonprofits. Grissom, Dennis and other speakers repeatedly stressed the community‑led nature of MVP and praised the Community Foundation for convening fund recipients for learning exchanges on topics such as chronic absenteeism and volunteer safety protocols.

Commissioners asked questions about program scale and next steps. The mayor and others said the county plans to review upcoming contract renewals for technologies such as ShotSpotter and to consider whether ShotSpotter or camera footprints should be expanded. No formal votes were taken on the MVP presentation at the meeting; commissioners later thanked partners and moved to other agenda items.

The county emphasized that, while statistics show progress, officials said each death is “more than just a number” and pledged continued investment in prevention, mental‑health services and community grants.