'Senseless violence' needs to change

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Eight shooting deaths in the city of Grand Rapids since December have prompted area pastors and GRPD Chief Kevin Belk to announce a community-wide approach to dealing with violence in the city.

The approach includes a community wide meeting set for next Friday.

"We cannot arrest our way out of this problem," Belk said as he stood side-by-side with Rev. Dr. Clifton Rhodes, Jr. of the  Messiah Missionary Baptist Church and Pastor Dr. Jermone Glenn of The Revolution. "It's got to be a community-wide solution."

"This is a lose-lose situation.  But collectively we've come together," Dr. Reverend Rhodes said at the news conference.  

Pastor Glenn added, "This is a spiritual problem. This is a social problem. This is a secular problem. And most importantly, it is our problem."

The pastors admitted they don't have all the answers, but welcome everyone to bring ideas to spur dialogue and change.

To that end, there is an introductory meeting in one week -- Friday, Jan. 18 -- at 8 a.m. at Messiah Missionary Baptist Church, 513 Henry Avenue SE.

The pastors and the police know one thing -- the community needs to lead by example.

"As we take the first steps to say what is the most powerful things we can do when we leave here in this moment? That would be for every person to take ownership and begin to have the conversation, not look the other way, and to begin to nurture, develop right-thinking right behavior, in whatever your circle of influence is," said Pastor Glenn.

"We welcome any viable solutions," he said, and he encouraged "every profession to bring their area of expertise to help solve the problems."

Of those eight shooting deaths, three were from a double murder-suicide. Others were the result of disputes that led to the gunfire.
 
But some question whether a meeting will provide the right message to the young people involved in crime.  

"Stealing, robbing, and killing. That's what they're comfortable with," said Tahj Gillespie. "So if we ain't changing that, then we aren't changing anything. These solutions are mere talk."

He should know.

"I was a former Wealthy Street Boy. So I was a part of the crime wave that came though the 90s," he said.

A wave that left a trail of blood through the southeast side of the city, and sent several young men, like Gillespie to prison.

He's out now, working, raising a family and concerned the message isn't reaching the intended target.

"You got to talk in a language they understand," Gillespie said. "We talk over these children and expect them to understand how we feel as adults, what we had to come to learn."

But pastors, like Glenn, say they need people like Gillespie to be part of the solution.

"What we do today is we go home, have the conversation, in your circle of influence, bring the children to the meeting. Bring them in, No one's locked out."