ZACHARY: Crime fighting not just enforcement
Published 6:00 am Saturday, July 24, 2021
Gov. Brian Kemp wants to talk about crime.
Republican lawmakers in the state, especially those seeking reelection, want to talk about crime.
Talking about violent crime is a good thing.
Doing something about it is even better.
Obviously, Atlanta has a crime problem.
So does much of the rest of Georgia.
Even small towns in rural South Georgia have seen increases in violent crimes.
Kemp seems poised to call for a special legislative session later this year to address crime-related issues and to ask for more money to hire more state police.
His sense of urgency is warranted as crime spikes both in Atlanta and throughout rural Georgia.
However, just hiring more police officers cannot be the only answer and will not solve systemic problems that have contributed to the escalation of gun crimes.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms also wants more crime fighting money, wants to hire more police and install more surveillance cameras.
Still, there must be more.
Increased enforcement deals with the current problem but does not address the reasons the problems exist.
Enforcement is treating the symptom not the disease.
Access to mental health services, lagging education, income disparity and disproportionate incarceration are just some of the complicated issues which contribute to violent crime rates.
Effective community policing, fostering positive interactions between police and the public, must also be a significant piece of any comprehensive criminal justice reform.
Finally, though many do not want to hear it, you simply cannot address the proliferation of violent crime without addressing guns. Guns are everywhere.
Most people — regardless of political party affiliation — believe in common sense gun reform that includes enhanced background checks and waiting periods, limits on magazine capacity and restrictions on assault-type weapons. In addition to those things, Georgia’s “carry anywhere” laws that even allow guns on college campuses, have never made sense and must be revisited.
State lawmakers obviously have a lot of heavy lifting to do.
A special legislative session seems to be warranted, and there are no easy fixes for Georgia’s crime problem but the fact Gov. Kemp and Republican lawmakers want to join their Democratic colleagues to look for solutions is a strong first step in the right direction.
Jim Zachary is editor of The Valdosta Daily Times, CNHI’s director of newsroom training and development and president emeritus of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.