Public meeting to be set to address need for curfew for city

Published 5:03 pm Monday, December 9, 2024

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A public meeting will be held at a future date to address the need of a curfew for the city.

Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks addressed the city council during its regular meeting Dec. 9, and spoke about the need as there were three people shot over the weekend.

According to Advance archives, the APD is investigating the shooting of two people at the 100 block of East Ashley Street. The shooting occurred on Dec. 8, and Juwan McNeal, 25, and Joe Jones Jr., 27, both of Atmore, were found shot in a vehicle. Both passed away due to their injuries.

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Then, on Dec. 6 an Atmore man (Rakeem Phillips, 32) was found suffering from a gunshot wound at Point Escambia Apartments. Gelonte Giles, 31, has been charged with the murder of Phillips.

“It’s been a sad day in Atmore,” Brooks said. “Within the last couple of months have had a black cloud over us. And I can assure you that no one in this room or in this town is more concerned than I am about the nonsense of the violence that our community is experiencing right now.”

The weekend shootings occurred more than a month after 49 shell casings were found spent outside of multiple residences on 4th Avenue on Oct. 31, and another shooting that occurred on Nov. 9 on Brooks Lane.

“I want to do everything that I possibly can do to bring justice to the victims and these suspects that are committing these violence crimes,” Brooks said. “We want to put them in jail.”

Brooks said he spoke about the prospect of a curfew during a press conference after the 4th Avenue shooting, and after speaking in detail with City Attorney Larry Wettermark, it would be an extensive task to get the curfew going.

Brooks said right now, he’s putting extra officers on the streets to ride through neighborhoods.

Brooks said he would like to set up a public meeting to allow citizens to address an concerns or opinions on the curfew.

“I encourage us to set a date for that to happen,” he said. “There are some things we need to talk about. Who does it apply to? Does it apply to juveniles? Adults? Which areas of the town will the curfew apply toward?

“Those all need to be discussed, and I think the community needs to have some input,” he said.

Brooks said a date will be set, and announced via the media.