Liberty City Group Led by Elaine Black Go Door to Door to Seek Solutions to Address Crime Wave as Part of "Zero Tolerance Zone"

Liberty City section of Miami is crime-ridden and I must applaud Elaine Black, president of the Liberty City Trust, for taking the extraordinary step of going from door-to-door to help stem the crime wave in the community. She went to each home to hear the concerns and needs of the residents. Black and other volunteers from other organizations were spurred into action by a drive-by shooting at the end of May that injured two boys, ages 4 and 9, as they played basketball at 1231 NW 58th Ter. Then another senseless act of gun violence claimed the life of Lexsis Ray, 17, as she walked n Little Haiti. Days later, in Liberty Square in July, a toddler was struck in the foot by a stray bullet and her uncle, the shooter's target, was critically injured, according to the Miami Herald.

Black, the president of Liberty City Trust, and volunteers with other organizations, fanned out around Liberty City on Tuesday night to talk to residents about reporting crime and to complete surveys -- getting basic information about their households and asking residents what kinds of crime they see, whether they feel safe at home and what concerns they have.  The goal was to knock on about 100 doors on four streets, give residents cards to report crime and survey residents about crime and changes they would like to see.

Even the church where the group met, Jordan Grove Missionary Baptist Church, has been victimized. Last summer, members were robbed at gunpoint and days later the church was burglarized. Black described the initiative as a neighborhood crime watch and said teams will go out every few months to hand out materials. ``We're tired of all this going on in the community,'' said Black, whose organization works to revitalize Liberty City. ``When the community takes control by reporting crime, our neighborhood becomes safer.''Tuesday night, volunteers covered several blocks in Liberty City -- from Northwest 12th to 15th avenues between Northwest 58th Terrace and 62nd Street. Source

It is time many more residents in other crime-ridden communities got together and say enough is enough. They have to fight to reclaim their communities from a bunch of armed thugs hellbent on wreaking havoc on the lives of innocent people. It is also time that the no-snitch mentality is cast aside, in an effort to help police take criminals off the streets.