Flanked by law enforcement officers, ministers, government officials and civic leaders, United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., spelled out an initiative to help address crime in Jackson-Madison County at the Chambers-McClure Academic Center at Lane College, Monday.

The I-CARE summit – Community, Advocacy, Resilience Empowerment – will be held at the same Chambers-McClure Academic Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., August 6.

“How this got started – my office had meetings with clergy members in Memphis,” Murphy said, “I don’t know if you have heard, but we’ve got a little bit of a problem with violence in Memphis, and we did some community outreach and talked to several people.

“There was a sense of frustration … and let me say this about violent crime – it’s a problem in West Tennessee, but it’s not a problem that can’t be solved.”

The summit is tailored to address the needs of parents and children and topics covered will include gang talk, peace in the home, how to have a great school year and mental health awareness.

“This is a community issue,” said Thom Corley, chief of police, Jackson Police Department, “In about six weeks, we have taken nearly 50 guns off the street and made 300-and-some-odd arrests related to that, but we can’t arrest our way out of this particular issue.”

Corley said collaboration and community involvement is something he preaches at the Jackson Police Department.

“Today, we offer encouragement at a time when violent crime is on the rise,” said Tyreese Miller, U.S. Marshal, “This is an opportunity to come together, do something about the crime problem, and at the same time offer healing and hope for the community.

“We didn’t get to where we are overnight, and until we start attacking this problem like a family does – we are not going to solve it.”

(PHOTO: Thom Corley, JPD chief of police and U.S. Marshal Tyreese Miller)