Georgia governor’s message to gang members: ‘Move to Florida or South Carolina’
Georgia’s governor, speaking Wednesday in Savannah, said gang members should pack up and move to South Carolina or Florida, according to a video of the speech.
Gov. Brian Kemp was speaking to the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce when he made the comments.
“My message to any gang member in this area or anywhere in the State of Georgia: You should move to Florida or South Carolina,” Kemp said to laughter from the crowd.
He said he was talking the day before to the Chamber in Albany, in the southwest corner of Georgia, and said, “The gang members over there should move to Alabama or Florida.”
“I’m tired of our law enforcement officials being shot up for no reason by gangbangers. I’m tired of our neighborhoods being shot up, I’m tired of them hooking our children and our adults and our families on drugs, opioids and other things,” he said.
After Kemp’s comments, Orlando television station WKMG said, “Before this gets out of hand, let’s call a truce. Kemp, don’t send Florida your criminals and we won’t send up a congregation of alligators and Florida man. Sound good?”
The governor recently created a state gang task force that can work with local police and sheriff’s offices on gang violence, according to WPDE.
The governor also talked about education, health care and continuing to grow the Port of Savannah, WJCL reports.
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Georgia governor’s message to gang members: ‘Move to Florida or South Carolina’."
