Police Chief to host Community Meetings

Meridian Police Chief Deborah Young announced that she would be hosting community meetings starting next week. The meetings are a chance for people in all wards to come and express their concerns and issues surrounding the city.

According to neighborhoodscout.com, Meridian has a crime rate of 46% per one thousand residents. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in the city is one in every 22 people.

We spoke with several people in the community and got their opinion on if they believe these meetings will be beneficial.

“I think feel pray and hope that these meetings will be the onset of something that will continue”, said Barbara Ivy, a resident of Ward 3. “We’ll have a voice in what is going on and she’ll be able to help us get some things done. There is a lot of violence going on but there are also a lot of other things going on that need to be addressed”

For Ward 2 resident, Angela Clayton, violence in the city hit home for her when a loved one was recently a victim of a violent incident. We ask what would she speak about in the community meeting.

“It would be about violent crimes and what can be done about it. I’m very close to the person who was killed last Thursday and it’s pretty sad this keeps going on”, stated Clayton.

Other residents feel as though the crime issue in the city is generational and that Chief Young is in a tough position.

‘It’s not one elected official in this city that is happy about the crime”, explained Ward 5 resident, Rick Spell. “I believe that all of them are working hard to do what they can to solve the problem. It’s going to take a team willing to work together to solve it.”

The community meetings will start next Monday, October 11th with Ward 1 and continue through the 15th ending with Ward 5 on Friday. The meetings will be held at the police department on 22nd Avenue.