JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mothers who have lost children to violence are calling for the community and elected officials to come together and step up to reduce crime across our area.
A group of mothers, along with state representative Angie Nixon, held a press conference Tuesday morning on the steps of city hall sharing their stories.
The message from mothers--- enough is enough.
“I don’t think we deserve to go through this, to lose our kids," Robin Clemons, the mother of Timothy Thomas Junior, said
Clemons lost her son in September of last year. The 31-year-old was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds, according to police.
Clemons says the shooting made one thing clear to her; mothers need to be involved in their children’s life, no matter the age.
“It’s going to take the community to stop being silent about the situation and get into our kids and what they’re out here doing," Clemons said.
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She was just one of the mothers here at this press conference, all having lost a loved one to violence and all calling on the community for help.
“We’re losing people rapidly and it don’t make no sense… help, get involved, call your elected officials we need support," Beverly McClain, founder of Families of Slain Children said.
The group here believes the community can police itself by holding those committing crimes responsible, and becoming positive role models for the youth.
Representative Angie Nixon hosted the call to action. She is also advocating for local officials to promote economic development in areas where crime is rampant, pointing to poverty as one of the root causes of violence.
“The promises that have often went unkept, particularly communities outside of downtown that we are actually addressing those promises… it’s too many of our kids that are losing their lives," Angie Nixon, District 14 state representative said.
Nixon plans to ask for funding for economic and anti-violence programs for areas with high crime rates.
First Coast News sat down with Sheriff Mike Williams in January to talk about how his office is working to curb violence. Since then, we have requested multiple interviews, and are told the office is looking into our request.