The Art of Fighting Crime in Albany, GA — An Essay by Adam Inyang

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The Art of Fighting Crime in Albany, GA

An Essay by Adam Inyang

We don’t have a Batman or a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man to call on to save us from violent crime in the streets of Albany, Georgia. We don’t have a magic oracle that can prevent a tragedy before it happens. What we have is a police force that is trained and equipped to respond to crime once it’s already happened. What we have is an economically drained community that has responded to their increasingly deteriorating conditions with crime. We need solutions that address the conditions that lead to crime. Chief of Police Persley stated before the Albany City Commission that the number one crime we have in Albany is “entering vehicles”. People are breaking into cars to find anything of value because they don’t have. They don’t have access to resources. They don’t have access to healthy foods. They have extremely limited access to youth sports and activities. Their families don’t have well-paying jobs.

Why does a baby cry? Because a need isn’t being met. Why do relationships fall apart? Because at some point, someone’s needs weren’t being met. Why do these young people keep shooting each other? Because their needs aren’t being met. If our goal is to stop crime from happening, that is “Stop the Violence”, we have to start by assessing what needs aren’t being met in the community. We know there’s a need to lower light bills, and the phrase, “there ain’t nothing to do in Albany” has been applicable for both youth and adults since i was a child. After the closing of Cooper, Merck, & Bob’s Candies, “jobs” has been another unmet need. Here are a few ideas i think could help begin to meet some of those needs.

Reversing High Utility Rates —

• Rates have steadily increased year after year. Even during those storms in 2017 & 2018, many people saw no relief in the mounting bills owed to Albany Utilities. There are a couple ways to address high utility rates.
• Tenants’ Rights & Building Maintenance — Working with residents and organizations like 9to5 Georgia to address tenants rights and hold landlords accountable to proper and efficient building maintenance is a big first step in energy reduction and energy conservation. We need city leaders that are able to work with landlords to incentivize repairs and building upkeep. Energy credits, tax breaks, and subsidies are all tools that can be used to encourage better energy efficiency in our communities.
• Alternative Energy Investment — In my article, “On Liberating Albany from Water, Gas, & Plight” I introduce an idea called the Albany MicroGrid that is able to provide both energy and financial freedom to its participants. I also talked about the recent RECA agreement the city has entered into with Walmart, whereby the city will supplement some of its energy production with solar energy purchased from Walmart. It’s a technical step in the right direction, but there’s no evidence as of yet to suggest that residents’ rates will be reduced. There must be a strong and intentional push toward alternative energy investment from both our city leaders as well as the community as a whole.

Addressing Food Insecurity with Urban Farming Networks —

• A recent study conducted by the University at Buffalo described Dougherty County as the most food insecure county in the state of Georgia. More than 25% of Albanians don’t have access to healthy foods, and that access is strained for an even larger percentage. Most of the agricultural land in Dougherty county is devoted to growing commodities like pecans, peanuts, corn, and cotton. There isn’t much fruit & vegetable production. This imbalance is exacerbated when grocery stores have virtually disappeared on the South & East sides of town. In a capital-challenged community like Albany, innovation is required to reimagine the solutions to our problems. Here’s how an Urban Farming Network can help reverse the effects of food insecurity.
• Community Gardens — Extensive research has been done on repurposing vacant urban spaces into thriving, growing gardens. The positive impacts of urban community gardens range from blight reduction and cleaner surrounding areas to providing jobs and a steady food source for the local residents. When people have access to healthy foods, it has a direct impact on their financial well-being. Healthy eaters spend less money on doctor visits and emergency room visits. They spend less money on prescriptions, medications and surgeries. Reducing medical debt allows families to have better control of their finances.
• Urban Farming Careers — With the landscape of jobs and employment constantly changing, it’s imperative that we build systems that are organic and self-sustaining to serve the community. A network of urban farms creates new urban job opportunities in food production that were traditionally a rural mainstay. From garden managers, to tour guides, to consultants, to engineers, to many other needed positions, this exciting new industry will need both skilled and unskilled laborers to sustain a blossoming network that is sustaining the surrounding communities.

Investing in Youth Sports & Activities —

• If you’re from Albany, the phrase “the kids need something to do” or any other variation of it, is as true to you as your skin color. Rec ball and local gym leagues have been replaced by expensive travel ball leagues that are out of financial reach for many families. As a result, the youth find alternative ways to pass their time. There are many other factors that contribute to the lack of youth activities, but here are some ideas about how we can combat this problem.
• Sport Training & Skill Development — The studies on youth development and involvement in sports are extensive and consistent with the clear truth that youth sports are instrumental at developing social skills, critical thinking skills, and team building skills; not to mention the numerous health benefits. Engaging in sports also exposes young people to mentors and community leaders that can help guide them to making the best decisions for their lives. One problem we’re experiencing with the current youth sports organizations is that the focus is on securing only the best players to maximize chances of winning, instead of developing talent within all the eligible players. With a return to skill development, stronger bonds are formed, engagement is enhanced, and recidivism is reduced.
• Make Albany the Youth Sports Capital of SWGA — Grouchy Seay has an extensive plan about how to fund and execute the building of a sports megaplex that could provide both entertainment and jobs to the city. Other community leaders have proposed funding the redevelopment and modernization of our existing gyms and facilities. Albany has several youth engagement groups and organizations, and even churches, but they all need funding. Mr. Massey requests money from the city every year for NYSP. But in addition to funding, they need new, exciting activities for the young people to engage in. If Albany were to regain its stature of the youth sports capital of South Georgia, it would bring much needed revenue and positive notoriety to the city.

Investing Directly in Local Small Businesses —

• The Flint downtown and Pretoria Fields are examples of the city investing directly into local businesses for the benefit of the community. Instead of bending over backwards to try and attract foreign businesses to our municipality, why not inject funding and resources directly into the veins of the small businesses here that are most certainly going to reinvest that money back into the community? Why not provide subsidies and tax breaks to Food Lion or another local grocer so they can expand their operations and reopen grocery stores on the South & East sides of town; creating jobs and positively affecting the issue of food insecurity? How bout we invest in an eZeeCopy and i can offer more products and services and hire more designers and artists?? In addition to Public-Private Partnerships, which are great, here are some ideas..
• Grants, Loans, & Subsidies — It’s much easier to work with what you already got. Albany’s economy is rooted in a few main large employers, Phoebe, the Marine Base, Miller, and, P&G. But the small businesses throughout the city are the lifeblood of this rich community. The city receives money in the form of grants and other opportunities all the time. The most recent gift to the City of Albany was the $20 million Biden Rescue Plan money, of which our city commission voted to spend half on a sewer. The other $10 million is still coming down the pipes (pun intended), and one way the city can show they care is by setting aside a portion of that money to be awarded as grants to small businesses that complete a small business development course. Imagine what Albany would feel like if $5 million was divided up amongst 50 businesses, each to receive $100,000!! That money would circulate in Albany for a long time. Include other useful tools such as tax breaks, subsidies, and low cost loans, and you’ve got a ripe situation to grow your local economy both vertically and horizontally.
• Awarding Contracts to Local Businesses — Albany businesses should be priority in the awarding of city contracts. We have to do a comprehensive job at making sure business owners are aware of what opportunities are available and how to take advantage. The city awarding contracts to businesses that pay their taxes to the city makes too much sense for me to expound any further.

Exploring Careers in Blockchain —

• For those that aren’t aware, a technological paradigm shift has already begun. Blockchain technology was birthed in 2009 and since then, an entirely new digital ecosystem is being built around us and on top of our existing systems. Blockchain is the technology that makes cryptocurrencies possible. If you have not researched blockchain before now, i encourage you to do so before you don’t have a choice. If we’re going to think proactively and long term about the growth of our economy and staying ahead of the ever changing conditions that create chronic poverty, it is imperative that our city leaders invest serious time, research, and resources into educating the populace on blockchain application and opportunities. Check out my article on “Bringing Blockchain Education to Minority Communities”
• Blockchain Consultation — Blockchain has been the fastest growing new job sector every year since 2016. Employers want people who know about blockchain and how it can be implemented in their particular industries. The largest corporations on the planet are investing billions into the development of their own private blockchains. Kodak, IBM, Tesla, Google, and many more are already knee deep into transmuting their operations and global digital networks onto their respective blockchains. Secured by cryptography developed by the NSA, blockchains provide a much more secure and trustless online space where data can be stored and exchanged with privacy and speed. In Atlanta i was able to create a stream of income by consulting with individuals and companies about blockchain technology and its applications in a wide range of use cases. I was blessed to be able to advise Former UN Ambassador, Former Atlanta Mayor, and Civil Rights Legend, Mr. Andrew Young on blockchain applications in Africa.
• Apply Your Skills to Blockchain — PR managers, event coordinators, graphic designers, and more are all needed to continue to develop the growing blockchain spaces. Education is still a big part of blockchain adoption, so traders and investors are needed as speakers and ambassadors. Lobbyists are needed to beseech government on behalf of crypto enthusiasts and blockchain developers. We need entrepreneurs and business owners to integrate blockchain and crypto into their businesses. More businesses accepting crypto opens our local economy up to an international market. There are many more areas where various skills can be applied to blockchain.
• AI, AR/VR, and Cryptocurrency — With many jobs surely seeing their demise with the rise of AI, it’s imperative that our leaders employ a forward thinking approach and facilitate the learning and development of careers in AI and VR. We must also position ourselves to take advantage of the still nascent crypto market. Many poor families are poor simply because they aren’t aware of the opportunities that lie before them. Reimagining the solutions to our problems requires not just looking around, but looking forward. We’re going to need programmers. We’re going to need coders. We’re going to need IT specialists. If our goal is to combat poverty, cryptocurrency education and financial education in general, is vital.

Once we successfully build an environment that meets the needs of the community, the propensity to commit crime is diminished. We have the power to reimagine our problems and their solutions, and we have the power to execute our plans regardless of government approval or involvement. While government can help provide funding and resources, we need #CommunityAction now to begin to realize change in Albany, GA. Let’s move Albany Forward.

InyangforAlbany.com
ainyang.31705@gmail.com

Matthew 10:34