Tuesday, November 2, 2021 - State Representative Pat Moore, Betty Cooper and Tom Malmay met to review the readouts from Saturday's planning meeting. Elements of the model were adjusted based on the readouts. All agreed more input and discussions were needed. Working with law enforcement was discussed at length. The strategy currently calls for simultaneous engagement of youth, families and bad influence. Removal of the bad influence, inmate occupational training and people out awaiting trial committing more violent crimes needs to be addressed. Betty spoke at length about the role of educators and schools system.
Bawcomville and other parts of Ouachita Parish were discussed. Once the strategy matures and gets traction, it will be inclusive. Tom Malmay stated, "Black leaders have stepped forward to address a problem in their neighborhoods, that's where it begins." Adopting a corporate structure with a judge as the CEO is something State Representative Pat Moore is evaluating. Input from business leaders will be needed.
RECAP - Black leaders are asking for help and partnership. There are discussions on adopting a corporate approach and bringing in a judge. I don't recall these type discussions ever unfolding quiet like this. If any of our law enforcement have ideas for legislation that would help, I encourage you to meet with Representative Pat Moore. While you are together, take the opportunity to review the law enforcement mission. Hearing it directly from you in your own firm words is helpful.
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 Technical Comments - I just uploaded a draft Logic Model, we need to have a group go through it. Designing and measuring Key Performance Indicators (KPI) is important. Its likely more than one discipline. It certainly includes law enforcement leadership. There is now enough material to draft a whitepaper. I will put together a draft paper based on the information we have. It will then need text from law enforcement and subject matter experts that attended last weekends meeting. More to come on the workflow.
Saturday, November 6, 2021 - Progress has been made on the draft whitepaper. In adition, I will build a single map with South Monroe, Bacomville, Southern West Monroe and Booker-T. I will add other neighborhoods to the map as requested. The map will be posted here Sunday evening.
Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - The post flood period will be remembered as the "Renaissance Years." Despite the flood, pandemic, tornadoes and hurricanes. Private and public investment in the community continues. Technology took hold in most business sectors, the political landscape changed, the community has never been cleaner, all-hazard mitigation is now institutionalized and the City of West Monroe saved the Sparta Aquifer. That's a lot of progress.
The art scene literally exploded after the flood with Heron's on the Bayou, murals, Downtown Art Crawl and live music. A beautiful blend of art and business is developing. We look very attractive to the growing remote workforce and a cool place to visit. No better indicator of resiliency. No better path forward for prosperity for all.
Thursday, November 11, 2021 - The draft Whitepaper was completed and provided State Representative Pat Moore and Monroe School Board Member Betty Cooper.
Thursday, Nov 11, 2001 - Earl Davis, Betty Cooper, and State Representative Pat Moore participated in the pray meeting. The partners welcomed us, and we prayed about the Save our black boys, teens, and young men initiative and the violence in Ouachita Parish. It was awesome.
State Representative Pat Moore also attended the prayer meeting on Oct 28 and asked for partners' prayers and gave them information about the October 30 meeting. Pastor Ike Byrd came to the meeting.
Friday, November 12, 2021 - The whitepaper has been developed. The first review was completed today. No structural changes were made. It will likely need one more review early next week.
Monday, November 15, 2021 - A technical conference call was held this morning. The online Action Form was reviewed and updated. The whitepaper remains under review under review. There is a punch list to items that will be incorporated before it's published for broader review. There has been no structural changes.
Wednesday, November 17, 2021 - Below is a message from Pat Moore, State Representative District 17. I (Tom) want to encourage our law enforcement with legislative ideas or identified needs to meet with State Representative Pat Moore. While you are together, review the law enforcement mission in your own firm words. Engaging the youth and stabilizing families will not be successful if the bad influence is not removed from the community. Black leaders are asking for help, partnership and collaboration. The communications we are seeing are different. They are reaching out for help.
Greetings:
I am pleased to inform you that we are moving forward with a strategy to help save our Black males and to help reduce Black violence. Our Black males are facing many challenges. We are wanting all of our stakeholders, e.g., parents, faith- based, elected officials, educators, and businesses, to continue to work together, to bring about the changes needed. Along with reducing violence, may we do more to create conditions that will help our Black males and help our community. We need your input, your comments, and your commitments.
Please read the attached thank you letter and the Action Plan Form. The form was distributed at our initial meeting on Saturday, October 30th at Richwood High School Gymnasium. Attendees, representing many groups, wrote on the form their action plan to do more to reduce violence and to help our Black males.
If you need to update the Action Plan Form you previously submitted, or if you were unable to attend the meeting to complete one, please complete and submit the attachment by November 30th. After we receive your form, Tom Malmay will include it in the whitepaper on our website.
If you have any questions, please contact me at pmoore@legis.la.gov or (318)-557-7672.
Respectfully,
Pat Moore
State Representative District 17
(318) 557-7672 Business
(318) 362-3014 Office
hse017@legis.la.gov
pmoore03@comcast.net
“I’d rather build a strong child, than repair a broken man.” Frederick Douglas
Sunday, November 21, 2021 - Pat Moore, State Representative District 17 has issued an updated workplan to her team. The purpose of the workplan is to collect information, conduct interviews and surveys. This information is necessary for the final project design. It ensures a solid foundation. At this moment, the proposed strategy is holding to the original design. With each interview and discussion we test the design. The whitepaper is complete, with one more review pending before publishing on the website. As meetings are held, the substance of the meeting will be posted on this website.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021 - Pat Moore, State Representative District 17 met with the Louisiana Prisoner Reentry Initiative group and was the guest speaker. She previously served as the Interim Member on the State Administration of Criminal Justice Committee. She talked about its mission, some of the bills introduced during the 2021 session. She ask the question Is it working? See the update section for the full text.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021 - The Monroe City Council met last evening. The recent violence was discussed at length. This was a great community conversation. The points made last night were some of the same points made at the October 30th meeting. We have new leadership across Ouachita Parish, the conversation is different, and its real. Below is the URL to the meeting. You will need your Facebook log in information to view the video.
Friday, November 26, 2021 - Business Plan Development RECAP
The proposed strategy calls for simultaneous engagement of the three tenets - 1) youth; 2) bad influence and 3) the family. Action plans will be developed for each tenet with oversight by a vice president that reports back to the CEO and stakeholders. A team made-up of appropriate disciplines will support the corporation with analysis and performance measurements.
Monday, November 29, 2021 - The community conversation continues. Earlier this week State Representative Pat Moore held a meeting at the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and gave an interview with KNOE. More meetings are being scheduled.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021 - The October 30th meeting was important. The meeting began with a story about a group of black kids at the Northeast Louisiana Delta African American Heritage Museum that said they weren’t proud to be black. That stayed on my mind the rest of the day. I’m still thinking about it. What if a group of Caucasian kids at an elementary school told their teacher they weren’t proud to be white. Alarms would go off and I (Tom) would respond just as these black leaders have. They are loosing a generation to incarceration and death. There is new leadership across Ouachita Parish and a different approach by black leaders. It's an important moment.
Sunday, December 5, 2021, Effective Communications - Black leaders have stepped forward and ask for help. I have no doubt community and business leaders from all races and ethnicity will be responsive. Black leaders will talk with their constituents thru the media and boots on the ground. We may need to consider some advance public communications for multiple reasons.
Business Plan Development RECAP - The proposed strategy calls for simultaneous engagement of the three tenets - 1) youth; 2) bad influence and 3) the family. Action plans will be developed for each tenet with oversight by a vice president that reports back to the CEO and stakeholders. A team made-up of appropriate disciplines will support the corporation with analysis and performance measurements.
Wednesday, December 8, 2021, KNOE-TV - A couple of 18-year-olds are suspected to be behind several recent vehicle burglaries in Monroe and the surrounding areas. Authorities are asking for the public’s help to find them.
According to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jerry Lee Morrison and Ricco Valdez Ferrand are each being sought on charges of 15 counts of simple burglary. They say the pair are wanted in connection to a string of vehicle burglaries that happened in Sterlington, Monroe and West Monroe between Oct. 20, 2021, and Nov. 6, 2021. If you know information that can help authorities find these men, you are asked the call the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-329-1200 or Crime Stoppers of North Delta at 318-388-2274.
Numerous guns were stolen. Authorities say firearm thefts create “a very serious problem” for the safety of the public and officers.
The theft of guns is a problem that authorities say has grown recently because gun owners are leaving their weapons unsecured in unlocked cars. “It’s your duty to be a responsible gun owner. Just as you would properly store your gun in your home to keep your children safe, you must also take the necessary steps to secure your weapon in your vehicle,” said Monroe Police Chief Vic Zordan in a news release last week.
Wednesday, December 29, 2021 - The Monroe City Council enacted a curfew this week. Mayor Friday Ellis and Councilwoman Juanita Woods have been working on this for a couple of months. More details to come.
Wednesday, December 29, 2021 Radio People Partnership -This week State Representative Pat Moore and Monroe City School Board Representative Betty-Ward Cooper met with Bob and Sherri Holladay, owners of the Radio People.
Their discussions included editing music lyrics that glorify vulgar language, extreme profanity, crime, drugs, sex, and misogyny. Representative Moore stated, “We know these lyrics effect all of us, including Black males and their life directions.” They also discussed the strategy under development and the need for partners.
Representative Moore said, "The Radio People are doing great things in the community and plan to do more. Sherri shared a personal account that exemplifies their commitment to a diverse community. Her story is the poster child of why we're doing what we're attempting to do. She's someone I think others will listen to".
Representative Moore thanked Bob and Sherri for offering to assist by providing more positive community engagement on their two Black radio stations. Representative Moore stated, “This will certainly help with the negative perceptions about Blacks and specifically Black males.”
The Radio People are community partners.
Tuesday January 4, 2022 - Mayor Friday Ellis and Monroe City Council Pass New Curfew Ordinance
(Monroe, LA) On Tuesday, December 28, 2021, the Monroe City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that would adjust the existing City of Monroe curfew for any person 16 years of age and under.
The original curfew was between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday, unless accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or other person having legal custody of the minor.
The new curfew states the following: “It shall be unlawful for any person sixteen (16) years of age and under to be or remain upon any street, alley, boulevard, park, other public place or vacant premises in the City of Monroe between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., unless such person is accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or other person having legal custody of such minor.”
The ordinance was introduced by Mayor Friday Ellis and Councilwoman Juanita Woods to help quell youth crime.
“It is imperative that we do everything we can to keep our kids safe. Too many times we have seen lives lost to youth violence and the perpetrators were unaccompanied minors. We know all minors are not participating in criminal activity, but this is one method we are using to try to keep kids out of trouble, but the work must begin at home. We need parents to take a more active role to make sure their children aren’t participating in criminal activity,” says Mayor Ellis.
There are exceptions to the curfew, including participating in any civic, religious, or school sponsored activity, engaging in lawful employment, and being in direct and immediate route to or from any of the aforementioned. Consequences for violating the curfew are listed in the attached ordinance. Curfew information is being disseminated to parents through Monroe City Schools.
Consequences for violating the curfew are listed in the actual ordinance.
Curfew information is being disseminated to parents through Monroe City Schools.
Saturday, January 1, 2022 - Recent events have provided an opportunity to test the strategy currently under development. The proposed strategy calls for simultaneous engagement of the three tenets - 1) youth; 2) bad influence and 3) the family.
I took three recent activities and matched them to the tenets. The activities included the Monroe Curfew, arrests, and a partnership meeting. Below are the results. Note how the activities lineup with the strategy. It is easy to envision a series of activities built around a common strategy.
Tenet 1 Youth - Last week State Representative Pat Moore and Monroe City School Board Representative Betty-Ward Cooper met with Bob and Sherri Holladay, owners of the Radio People. The subject matter discussed was directly related to our youth. The curfew enacted by the Monroe City Council is intended to keep the youth off the street and at home by a reasonable hour.
Tenet 2 Bad Influence - The Monroe Police Department and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office have made arrests in response to violent crime and the theft of guns.
Tenet 3 Family - Last week the Monroe City Council enacted a curfew that provides for holding parents accountable.
Friday, January 7, 2022 - City of Monroe to Celebrate 43rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Salute
This week Mayor Friday Ellis and the City of Monroe announced they will host the 43rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Salute. The event will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, January 17, 2022 in the W. L. “Jack” Howard Theater at the Monroe Civic Center Complex.
Our 2022 theme is “Renewing Our Community Through Service.”
In recognition and tribute to the many contributions of Dr. King to our mutual history and to our society, the City of Monroe is continuing with a tradition that was started years ago with the presentation of the James Sharp, Jr. Justice Award, the B. D. Robinson Unity Award, the W. L. “Jack” Howard Public Service Award, the Nashall “Shack” Harris Humanitarian Award, the Morris Henry Carroll Education Award, the Lillie “Granny” Goins Community Service Award and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Trailblazer Award.
In an effort to ensure everyone has the opportunity to view the ceremony, we will be streaming it via the city’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/monroe.city
Our guest speaker will be Jon Alston. Alston is a former NFL player, film director, and film producer.
Saturday, January 14, 2022 - City of West Monroe announces plans for MLK Day of Service
This week the City of West Monroe announced activities for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service scheduled for Monday, January 17.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service. Americans are encouraged to volunteer to improve their communities.
For the past quarter century, AmeriCorps has been charged with leading this effort. The City of West Monroe’s SEE West Monroe AmeriCorps team will be joining with the City of West Monroe on Monday, Jan. 17 to lead a service project for local elementary students.
City of West Monroe officials and the SEE West Monroe AmeriCorps team will be assembling literacy kits to be used by elementary students at Riverbend Elementary. Thanks to the generous donation of Atmos Energy and in partnership with the United Way of Northeast Louisiana, the West Monroe Community Center has gathered materials to pack over 100 literacy kits that will be distributed to students at Riverbend Elementary including books, pencils, notepads and bookmarks.
The kits will be distributed to students sometime next week, and community volunteers will read aloud to Riverbend students, all in an effort to encourage a love of reading and bolster literacy.
The public will have an opportunity to participate in a community service project on Saturday, Jan. 22 in a Team Up 2 Cleanup Event hosted by Keep West Monroe Beautiful and Ouachita Green. A community cleanup will take place in the neighborhoods surrounding West Monroe High School on January 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. To register, please visit the Ouachita Green website below.
“I encourage our citizens to take time to volunteer on this national day of service and throughout the year,” said West Monroe Mayor Staci Mitchell. “Dr. King truly believed that dedicating his life to others would make our world a better place. I challenge our citizens to do the same thing and find ways to dedicate their lives to making our community a better place for all generations.”
City of West Monroe offices will be closed on Monday, Jan. 17 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including the West Monroe Recycling Center. Residential garbage service will continue to operate on Monday, Jan. 17. Residents are asked to please be sure to allow access on Monday for their garbage cans to be pulled to the curb for disposal. Kiroli Park will remain open to the public on Monday, Jan. 17. All other City offices will reopen to the public on Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 8 a.m.
Sunday, January 23, 2022 - Equity, Inclusion and the things kids do
First things first. I live in West Monroe and like the rest of the community was disappointed in the video with the racial slur. In a prior meeting with Judge Ben Jones, Court Administrator 4th Judicial District Court, he imparted wisdom about kids, the things they do and discipline. I wished all of us could have heard the judge talk about juveniles. State Representative Pat Moore continues to work with Judge Jones on a variety of issues.
Louisiana Gulf Coast Recovery - The people along the Louisiana Gulf Coast are having a hard time recovering from the 2020 and 2021 Hurricane Season. In response, the Louisiana Office of Community Development (OCD) has organized recovery training for the coastal areas. The Gulf Coast recovery directly impacts North Louisiana in many different ways.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Louisiana are well aware of our recovery efforts following the 2016 Flood. They are equally aware of the important role the Concerned Clergy, NAACP and other black leaders played during the 2016 Flood Recovery.
Last week I participated in two FEMA-OCD Just-In-Time (JIT) Workshops to help with the Hurricane Ida Recovery. It was with great pride I spoke about State Representative Moore, Monroe City School Board Member Betty Cooper, Pastor Earl Davis, Pastor Anthony Garcia and other black leaders. Their voices provided insights and insured inclusiveness in the recovery efforts. Equity and inclusion were a part of all these discussions. FEMA Director Deanne Criswell places a high premium on equity.
I also spoke about the blend of culture and business developing in our community and the hard work by our elected officials.
The partnerships born of the 2016 Flood continue to serve our community well.
Thank you, Sandra Gunner, Louisiana Office of Community Development and our FEMA and HUD partners for your commitment to Ouachita Parish and the region.