The Member Education Committee ended the year with an outstanding virtual event focused on gun violence in the Charlotte region. We were fortunate to have two experienced community leaders – Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden and local barber and leader of Cops & Barbers, Shaun Corbett. Committee member, Amanda Glowacki, facilitated the event. I strongly recommend this candid conversation to anyone interested in local issues and understanding ways to address them. Click here to view the recording.
In 2015, in the wake of Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, MO, Sheriff McFadden (then a CMPD homicide detective) and Mr. Corbett formed Cops & Barbers to bridge the gap between police and the community they serve. Women’s Impact Fund has had the opportunity to support their work twice in recent years, funding Cops & Barbers’ on-the-ground, community-based work. Cops & Barbers is expanding into Columbia, SC and Atlanta, GA.
Sheriff McFadden and Mr. Corbett talked openly about the causes of gun violence: easy access to weapons legally purchased but poorly secured; a mindset that encourages young men to view a gun as part of their day-to-day “uniform”; and an environment of hopelessness and lack of opportunity. Only a quarter of what high violence areas experience is reported in the media. There is “a war going on out there” said the two. McFadden shared that gun ownership in Mecklenburg County is significant. Many people legally own weapons, but don’t secure them effectively creating easy opportunity for theft. Most gun crime comes from those stolen weapons.
Talking about lack of opportunity, Corbett noted that many just need an opportunity to do something. “The dopeman is always hiring” and provides a consistent source of income. Corbett went on to note that programs aimed at telling kids how to behave are not effective. “Stop talking about it – the community is talked out.” These kids need consistency to counter the instability in their lives. They need a career, financial literacy, maybe an expungement of their record to give them the opportunity to flourish.
McFadden developed a program to support mothers in the county detention facility. He is running a school supplies drive to support their children. He spoke powerfully about helping these moms support their children’s needs even while they are not able to be present in person. If interested in donating, click here to see the wish list. Donations are being collected through the end of June.
Leave a Reply