DeSoto County Crime Summit tackling tough topic
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — DeSoto County’s Crime Summit is an event aiming to bring people from all walks of life together to tackle the tough topic of crime.
The event will be held Saturday at Brown Missionary Baptist Church.
DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas E. Tuggle II says it’s all about building a powerful partnership with the community.
“Your initial reaction with law enforcement for the first time shouldn’t be a confrontation. It should be, ‘Let me learn about you and you learn about me’,” Tuggle said.
To introduce children to law enforcement, there will be special activities for kids at the summit. Tuggle says by meeting officers young people can develop a positive understanding of law enforcement.
“We’ll be out there for the younger kids to see that we’re bringing that and including them,” Tuggle said. “We will have uniformed law enforcement out there to interact with them. We don’t want their first time encountering police to be anything negative.”
DeSoto County is reeling from a surge in criminal activity, including an armed bank robbery that happened Thursday in Southhaven.
Tuggle warns the county’s proximity to Memphis and the Mississippi Delta border makes it vulnerable to crime. District Attorney Matthew Barton says community and policing need to go hand and hand.
“The whole point of policing is to protect the community. I think it’s important we are out in the community. We’re involved and listening,” Barton said.
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Tuggle stated he does not want people to look at law enforcement as evil. Youth administrator Charles Deloach says this is one of the reasons why the event will be held at Brown Baptist.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for our community to hear from people that they may have not ever heard from before with live panel discussions from people from all different types of demographics and backgrounds,” Deloach said.
The summit is free to the public and will last from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. There will also be a live panel discussion about auto theft, gangs, and guns.
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