Commissioners address jobs, crime issues

ALBANY — A pair of Albany city commissioners say it is time for the city to take a proactive approach in combating two of its biggest problems: crime and a lack of employment opportunities.

Ward I Commissioner Jon Howard and Ward III’s B.J. Fletcher, who both are attending a Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia event at Amelia Island, said before leaving that the city is at a crossroads when it comes to taking on crime and jobs.

“I don’t think I’m out of line in saying that we have to be more proactive in fighting crime in this community,” Howard, the commission’s longest-serving commissioner, said. “I think it’s time that we, as city leaders, stand up and tell the people that we are going to do everything we can to fight the criminal element here.

“Yes, there are a lot of issues that we must focus on in this community. But our No. 1 priority should be to let the people here know that we will keep them safe. And we need to quit just talking about it and start doing something about it. We need to give our law enforcement folks all the things they need to fight crime — from manpower to equipment — and then expect results.”

Howard pointed to the increased police presence during the city’s 4th of July celebration, which drew thousands to the city’s downtown district, as an example of what can be accomplished with planning.

“I know some people are saying that there were no issues because of the increased police presence,” the Ward I commissioner said. “Well, I say, ‘Good, let’s keep that presence.’ Everyone who lives in this city knows there are ‘hot spots’ where the criminal element is most likely to be. I say we should start focusing on these hot spots. We should use our assets wisely.”

Fletcher, meanwhile, said she has grown weary of a phrase that’s becoming more and more commonplace in the city: “That’s just Albany.”

“Yeah, ‘that’s just Albany’ because we’re allowing it to be Albany,” the Ward III commissioner said. “Well, for all those folks who keep using that lame excuse, I have to ask, How’s that working for you? I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a place whose people are more negative. It’s almost like some of the people here want the city to fail.

“We’ve seen our population drop from 100,000 to 90,000 and now to 77,000, and people are moving from the city to some of the other communities nearby. Well, I don’t care where you lay your head at night, Albany is — and will continue to be — the hub of this region. We are the backbone of Southwest Georgia. And for all those people who move out (U.S. Highway) 82 or into some of the other communities saying ‘good riddance’ to Albany, let me just clue you in on something. If this city fails, this whole region is going to fail.”

Fletcher said the answer to most of the community’s woes — from crime to decreasing population to poverty to litter — is more and better-paying jobs. She took it upon herself in 2010 to publicly call on local businesses to “hire one more person,” and she had the businesses — both large and small — report their hires. Before she ended the program, 534 new hires had been reported to the businesswoman.

“I’ve followed up since then, and the last time I checked, more than 300 of the people who were hired still have those jobs,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher acknowledged that the upswing in the national economy has not been as vibrant in Southwest Georgia, but she said she’d like to revisit that 2010 campaign she launched as a one-person advocate to improve the job outlook.

“We hear reports about some of the big industries in our area when they add jobs, and those are great,” the Ward III commissioner said. “But every job is important to our community. What I’d like to do is, again, ask every business that can to bring on one more person. And this time, for those who can’t add a full-time employee, I’d like to encourage them to try internships like the ones mentioned in The Herald this week (at U-Sav-It Pharmacy).

“See, every job that’s added is not just about that one person who is hired. It’s about another family. And every young person who has an opportunity to serve an internship is going to learn how to become a valuable employee in today’s job market. I’m amazed at what I get from people who are asking for jobs now. They’ll call rather than coming by in person or, worse, they’ll have their parents or grandparents call. I always ask, ‘Are you (parents and grandparents) asking for a job, or is it your kids?’ And while I have nothing against technology, I’ve had young people stop talking in the middle of a job interview to take a phone call. That’s a quick way not to get a job.”

Howard said he plans to ask Mayor Dorothy Hubbard and City Manager Sharon Subadan to adopt a get-tough-on-crime approach as the city reels from violence that has seen 11 homicides already this year.

“We’ve got to take the lead,” Howard said. “We need to be bold; we need to stand up and say we are not — as representatives of the people of this community — going to live with this status quo. We’ve heard a lot in recent days about the declining population in our community, but that’s what happens when you’ve got people who are frightened to live in certain areas of town.

“We’ve got to quit sugar-coating this problem and quit handcuffing our law enforcement officers’ attempts to really fight crime. We need a strategic plan that will attack crime where it’s happening, and if we run the criminals out of one area, we need to start working on the next one. And every time they move somewhere else, we need to be right there until they get the message that they are not going to be allowed to operate in our city.”

Fletcher said the city’s quest for meaningful employment could very well come down to a “single, meaningful victory.”

“Look at Tupelo, Miss.,” she said. “They had numbers similar to ours — only worse in some areas — and their leaders got together and said, ‘Let’s go after that one victory.’ They did their research and focused on the bedding industry. In a short amount of time, every element of the bedding industry was making its way to Tupelo, and they turned their economy around.

“We need to do something like that, compile our ‘A Team’ and come up with a plan. Look at something like food processing, which is a $4 billion-a-year industry. That industry has a specific list of things it needs: good climate — for agriculture — water, transportation, utilities, infrastructure and a community that’s business-friendly. You look at that list and tell me that’s not Albany, Georgia. The people in this community who are responsible for economic development need to be looking for the industry that’s going to give us our one victory.”

Fletcher stressed that her focus will be on creating “the right kind of jobs.”

“Look at the people who are struggling but doing things right making $7 and $8 an hour,” she said. “You give them a job making $15, $20 or more, and you’ll see their positive influence spread into the community. I’m telling you, we can make these things happen.

“Of course, when I start talking positively about our job situation, I hear from so many frustrated people who say, ‘Those thugs in our community don’t want jobs.’ Well, I’m not talking about those thugs. I’m talking about the good people — and there are a lot of good people in this community — who work hard to try and get ahead. That’s the ones I want to help. Those thugs, the ones who are tearing our community apart, they’re cockroaches, they’re rats. You make things better for the good people of the community, and that’s how you get rid of cockroaches.”