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Volunteers Walk Tallahassee Streets to Reduce Violence

tallycast.com

Responding to a rash of recent street crime, dozens of volunteers, including some top City of Tallahassee officials, were hitting the streets themselves Saturday night (6/6/15).  Some of the area's residents weren't shy about sharing their concerns.

On South Meridian, a man who called himself "Captain Kirk" said he knew where the real problem lay.

“You start at the Leon County Courthouse,” he said.  “And if you don’t address that problem there, you’ll never solve the problem out here.”

A few blocks away on Brighton Road, resident Edna Dyson took her worries to Mayor Andrew Gillum.

“There are some bad things going on out here,” she insisted.  “And you’re not going to grab it if you don’t talk to some of these people out here.”

“I appreciated the testimony,” Gillum said after hearing Dyson out.  “And I think what I’m taking from it is the fact there’s such deep pain that has to be dealt with on so many levels.”

Police Chief Michael DeLeo says the activities and outreach will continue.

“Friday nights we have the ‘Splash and Jams’, which focus on the kids and Saturday night we’re hoping to continue these community walks to keep spreading awareness.”

Next Saturday's "Neighbors on the Block" walk will be in Frenchtown

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Tom Flanigan has been with WFSU News since 2006, focusing on covering local personalities, issues, and organizations. He began his broadcast career more than 30 years before that and covered news for several radio stations in Florida, Texas, and his home state of Maryland.

Find complete bio, contact info, and more stories. here.