TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The same message just a week apart from the Tallahassee Urban League.
“To our young people, don’t give in to peer pressure. Just because your friends are going don’t mean that you need to go,” said Urban League President Curtis Taylor.
Taylor stood in front of dozens of elected officials and law enforcement, once again asking for the community to work towards a reduction of gun violence.
Taylor stood in front of the same lectern a week earlier, asking parents to pay particular attention to where their kids were spending the wee hours of the night.
Several shootings have taken place at so-called ‘pop-up parties’ in Tallahassee the past few weeks.
Thursday, the League noted the last week had been quiet and thanked the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and others for their work to make that happen.
TPD Chief Lawrence Revell noted expanded efforts to surveil these gatherings are working.
“We’re doing extra patrols watching the areas where we know we have issues,” Chief Revell said. “We’ve set up cameras in those situations. We used drones this weekend which we think were a big help and deterrent and we will continue to do that.”
Chief Revell invited anyone who sees a large gathering during the overnight hours to call the non-emergency TPD line at 850-606-5800 to let officers know.
The Urban League also took the time to honor a high-profile TPD officer on the way out.
Chief Deputy Maurice Holmes received the first-ever Presidents Award from the Urban League.
Holmes has served in that role for six years but was one of several high-ranking TPD brass to accept a buy-out from the city.
Holmes said the decision to retire came after a lot of thought.
“It was a very hard decision to come to. It was a lot of prayer, a lot of talking to God, and a lot of listening, and eventually hearing,” he said. “Hearing what needed to happen. I know God has never steered me wrong. So, when I heard the words that I needed to hear, the decision was made.”
Holmes said he won’t be going away and plans to continue to work in the community.
Taylor thanked Holmes for his effort spearheading a campaign to encourage folks to lock their cars to avoid gun thefts.
Those stolen guns often end up as murder weapons, Taylor noted.
Holmes also knows walking away from TPD is “bittersweet.”
“The Tallahassee Police Department is an awesome agency,” he said. “You know, the partnerships and the day-to-day connectivity with those individuals is going to be truly missed.”
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