ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Pine Hills community is working together to stop gun violence once and for all after a town hall meeting at Kingdom Church.
The community held a meeting with the mission that would make them safer in their community. The meeting focused on addressing violence, demanding accountability, and pushing for greater transparency from law enforcement.
Ideas discussed included forging a partnership with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, creating a community safety alert system for immediate threat notifications, and exploring the possibility of establishing Pine Hills as an independent municipality to gain greater control over local policies.
Organizers also spoke about hoping to establish a research initiative in partnership with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The proposal includes independent investigations, policy recommendations, and community engagement for the research.
Organizer also said the research initiative should have the authority to conduct independent investigations into allegations of:
- Excessive force
- Racial profiling
- Civil rights violations
- Police misconduct and corruption
- Benign neglect
What does this proposed partnership look like?
- The research initiative will operate independently of law enforcement agencies and will benefit both community and the agency by:
- Providing constructive oversight and reform
- Helping to implement research-based policing strategies
- Gaining access to law enforcement data for analysis
- Fostering mutual respect that may lessen defensive pushback
- Offering proactive solutions that can cut down on lawsuits and public crises
The town hall meeting was held nearly two years after a deadly shooting claimed three lives in Pine Hills, further underscoring the community’s demand for action. Dylan Lyons, a 24-year-old Spectrum News 13 reporter, and 9-year-old T’Yonna Major died in a shooting in Pine Hills, on February 22, 2023. The shooting also injured T’Yonna’s mother, Brandi Major, and a Spectrum News photographer, Jesse Walden.
The family of T’Yonna Major attended the meeting, sharing heartfelt memories of her life and making it clear that violence will no longer be tolerated. Their presence served as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of crime and the urgent need for change.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said crime rates in Pine Hills, including homicides, robberies, and burglaries, have declined since 2012.
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