GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. —
Chairman Skip Alston said the resolution is about sending a message that the county is serious about gun violence prevention. It came hours after a Greensboro shooting killed one and injured another.
The county said it averages about 217 gun deaths a year and that weapons arrests are on the rise.
"It's killing our children. It's killing our citizens," Alston said. "It is a deadly force that's out there. It's a public health crisis and it's affecting our emotional health and our lives."
Commissioner Carly Cooke proposed the resolution after seeing a lockdown drill at her son’s school.
“It made me deeply sad that some students were scared, and some were numb to it,” Cooke said. "Sitting in that classroom watching 7 and 8-year-olds practicing for a potential tragedy we hope never comes, I couldn't help reflecting on what my responsibility is to these children and to my community."
The resolution reveals the Commission will prioritize relationships and partnerships with organizations and the community to respond to gun violence. The county administration will update commissioners on progress twice a year.
They said every citizen should know the following numbers:
24-Hour Behavioral Health Call Center: 1-800-256-2452
Behavioral Health Crisis Line: 1-833-600-2054
Guilford County Mobile Crisis Team: 1-877-626-1772
Greensboro-Guilford County Crime Stoppers Tip Line: 336-373-1000
High Point Crimestoppers Tip Line: 336-889-4000