Latest news with #Persley
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Hope' is the theme of National Day of Prayer event
ALBANY — Albany Police Chief Michael Persley's words summed up the intent of three speakers selected to offer messages during the 74th annual National Day of Prayer, held on the plaza of the downtown Albany-Dougherty Government Center. 'We come as people of faith, asked to speak about promises, not problems,' Persley said to a group of some 65 individuals who came to take part in the annual Day of Prayer, sponsored locally by the Albany-Dougherty National Prayer Committee, a volunteer group that sponsors the annual Day of Prayer and Mayor's Prayer Breakfast each year to offer members of the community opportunities to pray for their leaders. Larry Price, the volunteer chair of ALDON, told those gathered for the event that they are commanded Biblically to to pray for their leaders. 'Today is about hope,' Price said. 'It's about trusting in God. And it's about coming together as a community to pray for our city and our county leaders.' The theme for the event came from Romans 15:13, which says, 'Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.' Joining Persley as featured speakers for the Day of Prayer were Anastasia Franklin, worship leader of Christ Church of Albany, and Mark Lane, area director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Each spoke of how people of faith can bring about dramatic changes in a community beset by troubling issues. 'Our leaders are held accountable by God, and I urge you to fervently pray for them, not just today but every day,' Franklin said. Added Lane, 'My prayer is that our community leaders experience the hope that is found in Christ alone. When faith is directed toward the future, we can call it hope.' Persley said hope grows within families, communities and churches. 'The family is the first place where hope is nurtured, and community offers an opportunity of shared grace,' the APD chief said. 'And church is the launchpad for change. These churches, it must be noted, are not just sanctified on Sunday; they're a lighthouse for the lost Monday through Saturday.' After the speakers delivered their brief messages and prayers, those assembled gathered in groups of three to eight to pray in clusters. They took into the short prayer session a thought offered by Persley: 'Albany doesn't need more fear; it needs more hope.' ALDON already has scheduled the date for the 75th National Day of Prayer: May 1, 2026.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Speed cameras have generated more than $14 million in Albany; now they're up for debate in the Georgia legislature
ALBANY – Albany school zone speed cameras continue to watch out for speeding drivers as the Georgia legislature debates whether to better regulate or outright ban them. Camera critics say the cameras are a money grab and signal an overdependence on fines and fees to fund city projects. Supporters say the speed cameras have led to better driving habits and safer school zones for pedestrians. State Rep. Dale Washburn, R-Macon, is sponsoring House Bill 225, which aims to reverse 2018 legislation allowing cameras to be placed in school zones. Rep, Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, introduced House Bill 651, which proposes limiting the hours the cameras can be used and mandating that half of the fines collected go toward school safety improvements. Both bills made it through the Georgia House and await decisions in the Senate. Albany first installed RedSpeed cameras in August 2021. In nine enforced school zones, drivers receive a citation for going 11 mph over the school zone speed limit. The first citation costs $80. Subsequent citations are $135. The citations are considered a civil infraction with no points added to drivers licenses and no insurance increases. Since 2021, the cameras have led to more than $14.5 million in fines, according to a report from RedSpeed Georgia. The Albany Herald is awaiting information from an Open Records request that details how much of that money was received by the city and how much went to RedSpeed. Albany Police Chief Michael Persley said some of this money has been used to fund public safety initiatives such as improving safety within school zones, upgrading school zone signage, police training in conjunction with the Albany Fire Department, and youth programs with the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office and the city's Recreation and Parks Department. It also funded new equipment, like cars for community safety officers. Persley said he's not in agreement with banning the cameras outright. 'I think that's taking a step a little too far,' he said. 'We need to look at the whole situation. What are you trying to ban?' A 2024 report showed that there's been a 95% reduction in speed violators since 2021. Traffic studies, before installing the cameras, found hundreds of drivers each day exceeding the posted speed limit in school zones by more than 10 mph. Reducing a motorist's speed by only 5 mph doubles a child's chance of survival if struck by a vehicle, safety officials say. The report also said the cameras led to overall improved driver behavior – with 88% of offenders receiving less than two citations in 2024. 'The whole purpose of the program was to curb driving behavior, which it did,' Persley said. On the flip side, if cameras were banned, Persley said the department would have to put officers in school zones, but getting pulled over for speeding in a school zone means a criminal offense rather than a civil one. The police chief said losing the revenue from the speed cameras also would slow down some program implementation. He said without that revenue, the police department's gunshot detection program and license plate readers wouldn't have been rolled out as quickly. This equipment has resulted in the police department more effectively responding to gun violence situations and finding stolen cars. Staff from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI), a nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to expand economic opportunity for Georgians, criticized the speed cameras and said they want lawmakers to look into more ways to increase safety in school zones beyond addressing the cameras Ray Khalfani, a GBPI senior analyst, spoke at a community town hall in Albany on March 4 about multiple pieces of legislation that could 'remove some of the practices in our state that create excessive fines and fees' that create an excessive reliance on these things for cities to fund themselves. Khalfani said practices like citations from school zone cameras hurt residents. 'It doesn't help the economic vitality in their city because … that makes it difficult for people to keep jobs, get jobs, pay their bills and take care of their families,' he said. However, Khalfani said HB225 and HB651 are not the answer. 'You got all these bills to talk about addressing this school zone speeding issue, but who's going to talk about fixing road design … and fixing the child safety and pedestrian safety issue in school zones without robbing communities?' he said. Complaints in Albany have risen about improper signage or lighting to indicate school zones or citations occurring after hours. 'I'm still waiting for someone to bring in a school zone violation that they got on the weekends, that they got at night time,' Persley said. 'There are too many checks and balances in the systems for that to happen.' He said the one school zone location that doesn't have flashing lights is on North Slappey Boulevard. He said the city finally got approval from GDOT to put lights up, and the city is waiting for them to come in. 'I'm not in favor of the ban, but whatever the legislature passes, we will enforce,' Persley said. 'Just slow down. Be mindful of where you're at … of your driving habits.'
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Second defendant in robbery turned homicide found guilty, awaits life sentence
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The co-defendant of a man sentenced to life in prison for a December 2021 homicide was found guilty of second-degree murder. According to the Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office, Darius Persley, 25, was found guilty of second-degree murder by a unanimous jury on Thursday, February 13, 2025. During the trial, 11 witnesses testified to the events on December 21, 2021, outside of the home of the victim, Chavez Parker's house, in the 6600 block of Melara Avenue, where Persley arranged to meet Parker under the pretext of smoking marijuana. Shreveport police investigation revealed that Parker and his co-defendant Quinton Peace, who was convicted during his trial in November 2023, were planning a robbery. Watch: Firearms Impact & Responsibility A series of text messages showed that Persley told Peace that they would get firearms for the robbery and that he did not want Peace to bring anyone with him who would say anything if they had to kill someone. Parker was shot four times, once in the cheek, once in the neck, once in the temple, and once in the shoulder, and North Louisiana Crime Lab Firearms analyst Phillip Stout testified that two separate firearms of the same brand fired the shots. Additionally, a pathologist at Ochsner LSU Health, Dr. Long Jin, testified that a fatal shot came from each firearm. Witness testimony revealed that the perpetrators made an interesting decision: they returned to the scene out of concern that they had left behind physical evidence that could link them to the murder. Approximately 10 minutes after the fatal shooting, Persley dropped Peace off, got into the victim's car, and drove it to the Linwood Home Apartments. However, he could not move the victim from the driver's seat into the passenger's seat, so he drove approximately 2.2 miles while sitting in the dead man's lap. Police officers on a proactive patrol caught Persley and Peace while attempting to wipe the car down in the Linwood Home Apartments parking lot. A DNA analyst from the crime lab testified that a cloth ski mask found in Parker's car contained Persley's DNA. During Peace's trial in November 2023, prosecutors played a statement made by Peace to SPD, admitting that he and Persley planned to rob Parker of his marijuana. He also stated he and the Persley were armed with 9mm handguns. However, this evidence was not played during Persley's trial because when Peace was called to testify, he disrupted proceedings by cursing at prosecutors and refusing to answer questions. Peace was sentenced to life in prison and found guilty of seven separate counts of contempt of court, which will be added to his current sentence and run consecutively. Persley will be sentenced on February 24, 2025. Under Louisiana law, a mandatory sentence for second-degree murder, which is life in prison without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, will be imposed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
