PINE BLUFF, Ark. — The Group Violence Intervention (GVI) organization in Pine Bluff held its first day of GVI training on Monday for the public to learn how they can take action against the growing threat of gun violence in their community.
"I want to get out to the community that you can no longer be silenced to violence, especially to gun violence. If you hear shooting in the neighborhood, this is how we get information so we all know the hotspots that we can target," said Kevin Crumpton, Director of Group Violence Intervention.
The ongoing cycle of gun violence in Pine Bluff has been no secret to Crumpton, which is why his organization aims to tackle the problem in the best way it can.
"Today is more of a hands-on training where we'll be going and identifying over 82 individuals that we will be going to visit," he said. "We also send them a letter, let them know that we're not going to tolerate violence, and then I'm the credible messenger that gives the warning, and then after me comes to law enforcement."
Eric Walden Jr. the Assistant Chief of Staff for the 6th Division Circuit Court explained how the motto to put the guns down and stop the violence is a message they've been trying to spread to the next generation.
"We started seeing an increase of gun violence amongst our youth and our community and we've had kids as young as 15 and 16 that have either been victims of gun violence or have been arrested or charged for incidents of gun violence," he described.
Walden Jr. explained how it's a lifestyle that he knows firsthand. He has been trying to share with the youth that this is not a route they should take, as one decision can be permanent.
"I was one of those kids that was involved in a gang, and I moved here to get a fresh start. I moved here and got my education and since that time, I ended up getting involved in juvenile court because I wanted to keep kids from making the same poor decisions that I made," he added.
He also explained that the GVI has law enforcement, social workers, the courts, and everyone in the community working together to fix this problem.
"We really want to emphasize that it's okay to be a kid. You don't have to run around the streets, you don't have to be in a gang. We want you guys to stay safe, stay alive, and stay free," Walden Jr. said.
The GVI training ends on March 27 and Crumpton said once everyone is trained and equipped, they will start visiting schools to spread the message about ending gun violence.