Sammy Lee Mills, JR. May 9, 1935 – June 14, 2014
Gang Violence in Little Rock …
It was my first year as Mayor and Little Rock was stunned by a growth of gangs and gang violence. Situated at the crossroads of Interstates 30 and 40, Central Arkansas has long been a corridor of commerce … in the case of gangs, a corridor of drug commerce. Unlike most forms of legitimate competitive commerce, the marketing of drugs brought with it competing gangs, territorial claims and violent turf wars. Faced with 77 homicides the previous year … mostly youth on youth … businesses and neighborhoods were demanding action from City Hall. What are you going to do, Mr. Mayor ?
Victim’s Outreach and Sammy Mills …
City Hall did respond … responded with more police, more neighborhood partnerships, more direct connections with youth plus a series of Prevention, Intervention and Treatment programs. However, there was still a nagging question in my mind as to what I could personally do, not what City Hall could do but, as the city leader, what I could do. Enter Sammy Mills … and the formation of the Victims Outreach Program.
I had known Sammy thru his community involvement and respected him for his willingness to help and work with others … always with a giving and caring spirit. I asked Sammy if he would work with me to visit the homes and families of each youth killed in gang violence in our city. Whether right or wrong I felt a personal visit by the Mayor to the home of each victim’s family would have some benefit … at a minimum letting families know the Mayor cared. To keep this from appearing politically motivated, I asked the media to never show up or report anything about this outreach … the media respected my request.
Sammy made all the arrangements for each visitation. In addition, he noted the needs of the family and did the follow up to meet those needs. Many of these were very poor families … Sammy, working with Patsy Gatlin in the Attorney General’s Office, provided burial assistance. Sometimes there were needs for clothing, just so family members could attend the funeral. Maybe their electricity had been turned off … we worked with the utilities. The needs were many, the families were hurting and The Victim’s Outreach Program provided spiritual, physical and emotional attention.
Over nearly three years, Sammy and I visited nearly 100 families. I know we made a difference and I know I could not have done it without Sammy. In his eulogy yesterday, Pastor Al Montgomery used a stop watch to remind us “time is running out” and the importance of how we use our time. My friend, Sammy Mills, used his time well !!! His warm, gentle smile will be missed but how he spent his time will be remembered by me, his family and the countless numbers he touched during his 79 years.
Thank you my friend and Local Hero, Sammy Mills.
Jim Dailey 