Jeremy Grissom has known for years that he wanted to help people. As our Violence Prevention Coordinator (MVP) in Macon, he is able to combine his skills from working in various facets of law enforcement with his personal experience to bring something unique to our community. This week, Jeremy led a presentation to the Commission and the public where he and partner organizations discussed the ongoing progress of the MVP program and that’s why he’s in this week’s Staff Spotlight.
Jeremy has been married for seven years, and has two children aged 2 and 4 years. He grew up in Union City, outside of Atlanta, but has called many places in the Peach State “home” throughout his career. Jeremy graduated from Savannah State University, where he majored in criminal justice, and then worked in the Savannah Sheriff’s Office. He previously served in Macon with the Department of Community Supervision as a sex offender, field training officer and assistant chief. Jeremy has always known that he wanted to follow a different path than those around him, while also helping his community as much as possible.
“I grew up in an area with high drug trafficking. A lot of my friends are either dead or in prison now, and I knew I didn’t want that for myself,” says Jeremy. “I come from a single parental home. My mother worked very hard to make sure that didn’t happen. I use that as motivation not only to keep doing things my family has never done before, but also to make sure my mom’s efforts don’t go to waste.”
“Having worked on all sides of law enforcement, in correctional facilities, on the street and now on the social services side, I’ve seen how crime affects us all. It’s important that we all work together because you never know when you could become a victim of crime. On the other hand, you never know when you or a family member might need help when you’ve made a mistake. So it all ties together and I think the more we delve into how to help each other out of any situation, the better off we’ll be.”
As an MVP coordinator, Jeremy helps connect people directly with organizations that can help them while also holding those organizations accountable for their missions. He says his primary purpose is collaboration and connection, and he often says “Mr. Everything.” He reports to the leadership team and is often a cheerleader to get more people involved.
“I want people to know it’s time to dig deeper. This won’t be a walk in the park. We need everyone on deck,” adds Grissom. “We will not stop until we solve these problems, so we will keep fighting. Anyone who wants to join us will be welcomed with open arms.”
Jeremy, we are proud of you‘re part of #TeamMaconBibb!
