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58 maconmagazine.com | DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 Mayor Lester Miller and Macon-Bibb County announce the start of the Macon Violence Prevention initiative in front of City Hall. Photo by Chris Floore. These programs included investing in mental health services through Macon Mental Health Matters, addressing the needs of unhoused people through the Brookdale Resource Center, and blight remediation through the Blight Fight campaign. Founding MVP These initiatives were a strong start to addressing citizens' top concern, yet Miller's administration knew the staff of the county government couldn't stand alone. It needed public collaboration if it wanted to create greater public safety. So, it called on community organizations and faith leaders to partner with elected officials, law enforcement agencies, and government departments to come together under a single program's banner. Macon Violence Prevention was created six months into Miller's administration in June 2021 to begin addressing a major aspect of public safety head-on: violence. BY SIERRA STARK STEVENS AND CLARENCE W. THOMAS, JR. Macon-Bibb County prioritizes p eace and well-b eing: Macon Violence Prevention C ure Violence Macon's remarkable work is a key part of a larger effort called the Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) program. MVP was created as a core initiative of Mayor Lester Miller's new administration in response to rising crime rates across the country and in Macon-Bibb. Following his election into office in January 2021, Miller's office surveyed over 1,800 citizens and hosted 14 public forums with a total of one thousand-plus attendees. According to a county announcement introducing MVP that enumerated the findings, public safety was the top concern of residents moving forward. Pre -MVP developments In the months of research leading up to MVP, the county began addressing public safety by investing in state-of-the-art technology, appropriating $40 million to retain experienced public safety officers, strengthening Code Enforcement, and building new programs.