Crime Solutions Committee meeting set for Wednesday after dissolution attempt failed

Killeen police investigate a shooting on North 12th Street near Hall Avenue in north Killeen in September 2022. Members of the Crime Solutions Committee are scheduled to meet on Wednesday.
File | Herald

Killeen Daily Herald
By Paul Bryant | Herald Staff
February 20, 2023

After Mayor Pro Tem Ken Wilkerson asked the Killeen City Council on Feb. 8 to dissolve the Crime Solutions Committee, members of that body are scheduled to meet on Wednesday.

It’s the first meeting of the year for the committee that Wilkerson essentially chaired when it was created in January 2022, when the City Council appointed Ronald Blackman, Anca Neagu and Mary Moore to represent it.

Last March, the committee hosted its first meeting, when members talked about developing mission and vision statements, generally agreeing that the committee’s purpose was to develop a series of preventative solutions by analyzing the root cause of crime in Killeen.

But Wilkerson during a workshop two weeks ago said residents and neighboring entities showed little interest in the committee and that it should be dissolved.

‘Support just wasn’t there’

“One of the reasons I thought this was the right move for this is although I acknowledge and I sincerely appreciate the vote of confidence ... I don’t believe that it has the support necessary from not only the entities and municipalities surrounding us to go forward with it but also the citizens,” Wilkerson said on Feb. 8. “I’ve been to Fort Hood. I got nothing. I’ve been to Harker Heights. I got nothing. The support just wasn’t there.”

And while other council members acknowledged Wilkerson’s frustration, they said the committee needs more time to do its work, voting 7-0 to give it 60 more days to function before they revisit dissolution.

“I do have to say that since you’ve made this announcement, I’ve had a lot of calls ... and a lot of questions about what it is, really, and how (it works),” Councilwoman Jessica Gonzalez said during the Feb. 8 meeting. “There’s been a lot of conversations about this particular program. Do we dissolve it or do we not? You’ve said it already and I 100% agree with you.”

The Herald reported on Feb. 4 that Wilkerson planned to ask the City Council to dissolve the committee during the workshop.

“The vast majority of citizens of Killeen have demonstrated they are not interested in joining the Killeen city leaders in taking a community-focused, accountable and proactive approach to decreasing the causes of crime,” Wilkerson said in his written request. “Currently, only three citizens work on the committee. Bell County commissioners are the only municipal group or organization (that) supported the effort.”

Then-Bell County Commissioner John Driver represented Bell County on the committee.

In March, Crime Solutions Committee members talked about how people perceive Killeen when it comes to crime, with Wilkerson asserting that while some residents are apathetic toward crime, it is important to try prevention solutions. He also said that while KPD “is great at what they do,” officers can do little to prevent crime outside of outreach efforts.

‘A kind of competition’

“It became almost a kind of competition,” with the Killeen Police Department, Wilkerson said two weeks ago, referencing how representatives offered their own initiatives in response to those he presented.

“I never meant it to be that,” he said. “I don’t believe that policing is a part of getting out in front of crime. It’s not the answer. I don’t want to get too far into this. Maybe Killeen’s just not ready for that.”

Another reason Wilkerson wanted to dissolve the committee is that Killeen ISD, Texas A&M University-Central Texas, Harker Heights, Central Texas College and Fort Hood did not agree to participate on the Crime Solutions Committee, or CSC.

“They would all rather place the burden of reducing crime in the hands of KPD solely,” Wilkerson said in his written request. “Dissolving the CSC allows the city of Killeen to concentrate its crime reduction efforts into a more traditional perspective justifying a more aggressive and heightened police focus and less community engagement. This also allows us to reset the tone for future collaborative efforts with other cities, groups and municipalities.”

Councilman Michael Boyd expressed his frustration over the ineffectiveness of the committee.

‘First of its kind’

“This is a Crime Solutions Committee for this city — the first of its kind,” he said. “(Wilkerson) was consistent with these meetings. Our neighboring entities should have aligned behind this, considering we are all affected by the crime in this community.”

According to the city’s agreement with Bell County, the Crime Solutions Committee “goal” is to “decrease crime in the area, with a focus on safety and quality of life.” To do that, committee members “will seek cooperation with appropriate public agencies, non-governmental organizations and commercial entities on committee projects and activities. As determined by the committee, other participants may join in an advisory role or as needed to implement projects or initiatives.”

On Feb. 8, the initial motion of direction to dissolve the committee failed, 4-3, with Nina Cobb, Boyd, Gonzalez and Riakos Adams voting against it. Jose Segarra, Wilkerson and Ramon Alvarez voted for dissolution.

The Crime Solutions Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, at 4 p.m., at City Hall.