County approves Sheriff’s vision for Council on Status of Men and Boys

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Leon County is moving forward with the creation of the Council on the Status of Men and Boys.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, County Commissioners discussed the Council’s structure and funding.

Last December, the County voted to create the Council in response to Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil’s “Anatomy of a Homicide” Report. The report showed a high proportion of deadly crime among young people.

The City Commission unanimously voted to participate in the Council at its meeting last month as well.

County Commissioner Carolyn Cummings was passionate about the Council; she said its creation alone shows the Commission’s commitment to helping law enforcement move the needle on violent crime.

Sheriff McNeil has consistently argued that law enforcement cannot tackle the issue alone. Cummings said as a mother, the creation of the Council is vital.

“To show our young people we are concerned about them; health, safety, welfare. Lives are just snuffed out much too soon. Gone too soon. We have to show them that we love them, and hopefully we can put them on a different track, a different trajectory for their lives,” Cummings said.

The Sheriff laid out a proposed charter, with a different structure than the Council on the Status of Women and Girls, utilizing funding partnerships.

McNeil’s proposal uses funding from five entities, each contributing $70,000 of seed money. He proposed funding from the City of Tallahassee, the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County School Board, Leon County, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of the Sheriff’s proposed structure for the Council.

The item will come back at the Commission’s March 8th meeting as well.

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