WINSTON-SALEM, NC — As gun violence continues to be a problem across the state, one sheriff is calling on the community to step in and help prevent the violence.
So far this year, the city of Durham has seen four homicides with more than 100 shootings. In Greensboro, police report six homicides and 88 assaults with a gun. And in Charlotte, there have been 13 gun-related homicides.
Bobby Kimbrough has been sheriff in Forsyth County since 2018. He’s reaching out to not just his county, but to everyone to help fix social issues before they become criminal ones.
“Food, clothing, shelter, a belonging of self-value - when those things are absent, you never reach self-actualization to where you realize 'I can solve my issues without shooting you, I can resolve my issues without beating you, without hitting you, without harming you,'” Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough, Jr. said.
He says police can only do so much and gun violence is not a problem we can lock away, but a problem we’re going to have to educate away.
“Education is the true emancipator. Educate the people, give them hope. The new color of hope is now green. You got to have funding, you got to have programing, you got to have a plethora of things to help elevate and give people to look forward to,” Kimbrough said.
So far this year, Forsyth County has seen one homicide. In the city of Winston-Salem, there have been eleven homicides already.
“I’m sick when I pull up on a scene and before I can even get out of my car, I hear the mother screaming and crying. I see the pain in their face. I can smell the gun smoke in the area. I see the victim laying bleeding profusely, the memories of the days and nights haunt me forever and a day,” Kimbrough said.“I’m sick when I pull up on a scene and before I can even get out of my car, I hear the mother screaming and crying. I see the pain in their face. I can smell the gun smoke in the area. I see the victim laying bleeding profusely, the memories of the days and nights haunt me forever and a day,” Kimbrough said.
He says no matter your political affiliation or economic status, there are steps all communities need to take to cut down on violence.
"My question would be, how many people volunteer at schools? How many people volunteer in their community, at schools where our children are reading two and three grades before grade level? Title one schools, how many people volunteer there? How many people volunteer in the community, where the issues they are having? How many people see let me grab a kid or do this. How many business would say this year, 'I’m going to give a kid that traditionally I wouldn’t of given a job to for the summer to make money.' That’s how the community [can] get involved,” Kimbrough said.
He says cities and counties should re-evaluate how they budget and to put a priority on people.
“In order for me to put on more community service activities to offer people, GED programing to offer people in the community, with services inside the detention center to where we are getting people the help that they need, behavioral help that they need... When they walk out helping them find jobs, so that’s what we’re doing on this side of the fence right. To do that on this side of the fence, it takes money. When you look at a budget, and an animal service budget is more than your community service budget, what does that say - a budget is only a reflection of what you value?" Kimbrough said.
Kimbrough feels people should value what’s really happening in our communities.
“All of us have a part to play in this, your part [is] different from mine and my part [is] different from yours and the next person, but all of us has a part to play,” Kimbrough said.
Forsyth County Sheriff plans to host a community forum on Wednesday, March 1 at 6 p.m. at the Winston-Salem Central Library.
