Mobile Police Department honors victims lost to violent crimes

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The Mobile Police honored victims of violent crimes, as well as the families left behind.

The second annual lighting of “The Giving Tree” was held Monday night at MPD headquarters.

The purpose of this event is to show these families that their loved ones have not been forgotten.

Dozens of people in the community gathered at MPD headquarters to pay tribute to their loved ones.

One woman, Ramona Carter, had a board with over twenty names of people she’s lost to gun violence.

“Most of it has been youth violence, crimes against each other,” Carter said. “And I really can’t understand. I wish there was something that we could do or say to make them stop but it seems like it keeps going on and on.”

Most recently Carter says she lost her mother-in-law Grace Carter who was shot last December at a church in Prichard.

Almost coming up on a year since she’s been gone, Carter says going through the holidays without her will be rough.

“I think it’s going to be a little bit difficult because it’s of course the holidays and just going through the hearings and things like that,” Carter said. “There’s a long process when its a murder.”

Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine says events like this serve as an opportunity to remind the public to pull together.

“That’s why it’s so important for our community to come together if you see something say something. If you know something, come forward,” Chief Prine said. “Because it’s high time that we take our community back one street at a time.”

Chief Prine says it’s their goal to continue this event each year in hopes that it will keep growing and more families will come out.

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