Durham Reporter

The city of Durham is implementing a new program that is tasked with working to prevent violence.

Mayor Elaine O’Neal introduced the New Durham Vision concept to the public during her State of the City address on April 18.

“I’ve called them reformers, but they’re really ‘shot-callers,’ and they’ve been able to help quell some of this violence,” O’Neal said, as reported by CBS 17 News.

The 11-person panel was put into place as the city is struggling with rising numbers of shootings and homicides. Its members have all had experience with the justice system.

“We all are ex-offenders, we come from criminal-minded behavior,” New Durham Vision’s team leader Dennis Garrett said after the group was introduced during the mayor’s address. "The mayor will walk with us, hand in hand, in the community.”

The goal is for panel members to serve as a point of contact when someone notices a situation that could escalate into violence. Generally, Garrett will receive the initial call and he’ll call on one of his colleagues out to try to mediate the problem.

Although the panel was just unveiled to the public last week, the group unofficially formed in November. Garrett told CBS 17 News he didn’t have an exact number of calls they’ve been dispatched to, but he said the number has been on a downward trend.

Member Thomas Caraway said sometimes he’ll receive multiple calls a week from Garrett or from the mayor.

“Five or six times a week,” he told CBS 17 News. “It varies. It depends on how busy the neighborhoods are. Anything that happens, I get called late at night to try to defuse the situation.”

Garrett’s son, Dennis Garrett, Jr., is involved as a youth ambassador. He sees his role as vital in stemming the tide of crime.

“It hurts because they are younger than me,” he told CBS 17 News. "It’s not normal for a kid to be okay with a shooting happening right outside their front door. It’s not normal for an adult to hear gunshots and think, ‘Oh, it’s just another day in the neighborhood.’”

Read more about the mayor’s State of the City address in the Durham Reporter.