BEAUMONT, Texas — Three separate homicides in Beaumont and Port Arthur on Sunday have left one Jefferson County official pleading for the community to come together for change after the violent weekend.
Justice of the Peace Benjamin Collins is the one police call after a homicide.
He has the painstaking task of pronouncing a victim dead. Collins said it's starting to take an emotional toll on him.
"I've never seen three homicides in Southeast Texas in one day. Two in Beaumont, the same day, and we had one in Port Arthur. This weekend has been rough," Collins said.
Sunday marked one of the most deadly days of the year for Jefferson County.
Collins said it never gets easier showing up to the scene.
"Sometimes you go bed you still see their pictures. Sometimes you go home and you just hug your kids and at times you just you just ask God for strength to keep going," Collins said.
So far, Beaumont has had 17 homicides in 2020. Last year, there were 18 total. In Port Arthur, there have been seven homicides. In 2019, there were nine.
Judge Collins said the most concerning trend is victims of crime dying at a young age.
"It's just got to stop, we're losing too many kids, we're losing kids to the cemetery, we're losing kids to the penitentiary and parents on both sides are crying because they lost their child," Collins said.
After a weekend full of tragedy, Collins said it's time for the community and law enforcement to come together to address the root of the violence.
"We're calling on the pastors, we're calling on business people, people from all spectrums, fathers, mothers. It's an old saying it takes a village to raise a child, it really does we all gotta get together," Collins said.
Police said the best way to help them out by continuing to come forward with information about these recent homicides.