Page 11 - 2-13-15 Friday's Edition

Local
Advocacy Group Starts New Social Media Tool
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Since the death of her son due to gun violence in Febru- ary 2005, Darla Saunders has been an advocate for other families who’ve lost children to violence, and no arrests have been made.
When Mrs. Saunders got the news her 18-year-old son, Isaiah Edward Brooks, had been found shot to death, she was devastated, and pleaded with detectives and possible witnesses to solve the crime.
Today she, along with her husband, Elliott Saunders, are still leading the call for jus- tice and their organization, Advocates For Safer Commu- nities, has stepped up and added a new feature to help families and law enforcement officials.
“We are dedicated to edu- cating and creating awareness among young people, families and communities to assist in the decrease of potential vio-
lent tragedies occurring. “We’ve entered the first phase of developing an online social media platform that will engage law enforcement and the public to help solve cold case homicides and recent crimes throughout the coun-
try.”
The new social media tool
is called HelpSolve Crimes (HSC), and is a networking tool that will engage national and local communities, law enforcement, members of vic- tim’s families, and members of the public to share informa- tion “real time” and provide tips that may help narrow down the whereabouts of fugi- tives and lead to the arrest of suspects wanted in homicide cases and other acts of violent crimes.
“The more time passes without these cases being solved, the more comfortable the suspects get, and they are likely to kill again,” said El- liott Saunders.
“Having the ability to
ELLIOTT AND DARLA SAUNDERS
broadcast real-time informa- tion about a crime or the whereabouts of a potential suspect and include pictures and a video, is a total new in- novation in our society that will offer unique benefits to the average user; as well as provide support to law en- forcement investigations.”
HelpSolveCrimes.com will also feature a mobile app that will include personal profiles of the victims, including a de- scription of the crime, photos, videos, details on time and lo- cation of the activity and other law enforcement authorized pertinent information to en-
sure continuous efforts are made to increase awareness of a particular unsolved murder case.
“After the experiences my husband and I encountered while going through a very tragic ordeal, my primary goal in life has been to find a way to help other families that are dealing with the loss of a loved one by homicide and the case is currently unsolved.”
If you want to help this en- deavor make an impact on communities across the na- tion, please visit heir Kick- starter campaign, Help SolveCrimes.
Mayor’s African American Advisory Council
Accepting Applications For Membership
MAAAC seeks qualified, in- volved leaders within the City Tampa
The Mayor’s African Ameri- can Advisory Council (MAAAC) is currently accepting applica- tions for new membership. In- terested individuals may visit www.MAAACTampa.org to sub- mit online applications for mem- bership and may also download print applications to mail to the City of Tampa Liaison. Applica- tions will be accepted through February 20, 2015 at 5 p. m. Interviews for invited applicants are scheduled for Thursday, March 12, 2015 at 6 p. m.
Designed to represent the Tampa-Hillsborough African American community and to ad- vise the mayor on key commu- nity matters, MAAAC is made up of 25 members who are ap- pointed by the Mayor of the City of Tampa, Mayor Bob Buck- horn.
All members must reside within the City of Tampa or Hillsborough County, with at least 50% being City of Tampa residents. Each member serves
for a total of three (3) years, after which members may reapply during the next membership in- take.
MAAAC has been extensively involved in focusing much of its 2014-2016 efforts on small busi- ness growth and the long-term economic impact of minority business development to the City of Tampa. Through one of the most recent initiatives, several Tampa Bay businesses were able to gain City support through the extensive certification process and get quickly certified/re-cer- tified for accelerated business growth opportunities within the City of Tampa.
Since 1981, MAAAC has worked to help the city emerge, providing a tangible link be- tween key community issues and the mayor’s growth initiatives.
MAAAC is additionally col- laborating with another Tampa economic developer to enhance and increase minority business involvement with the economic growth of the City of Tampa. MAAAC plans to make an official announcement later in 2015 with core details on the business de- velopment endeavor.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-A