VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - This week, Virginia Beach City Council members will be briefed on the Mayor's Task Force for Youth Violence Prevention.
The briefing will happen Tuesday afternoon and will be led by a local pastor and former Police Chief Jim Cervera.
"It's going to take a lot of people to come together. If this were a simple problem with a simple solution, it would've been done," said Mayor Bobby Dyer.
A recent crime report from the police department found violent crime to be down compared to this point in 2021, but the number of homicides has risen.
Dyer says he expects there could be a discussion about extending hours at rec centers during Tuesday's briefing. "Basically one of the things youths need are things to keep them occupied," he said.
Dyer says the goal of the task force is "working with departments to find immediate solutions for going forward on how do we deal with our problems right here in Virginia Beach."
Beyond that, Hampton Roads mayors have been meeting to talk about regional solutions. The group hasn't met since May, but another meeting is expected in September.
The group has talked about data collection and things like conflict resolution being taught in schools as some potential solutions.
"At the end of the day, what are you hoping comes out of it when it's all over?" News 3 asked Dyer.
"A great start - we're doing something proactive and hopefully we're going to come up with some solutions that will be best practices, not only locally, but perhaps for the rest of the Commonwealth and the rest of the country," he responded.
