NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A community survey regarding gun violence ended this week in Newport News, and already city leaders are implementing a plan to address the more than 2,000 responses.
“It’s important for the city to give other people a voice," said Police Chief Steve Drew. "The police department, law enforcement, city management, government, schools, we may look at the problem in one direction, we think this is the issue, but citizens may feel or look at it from another.”
The 36-question survey was up for four weeks, and tackled numerous topics including safety, experiences with crime, perceptions involving the factors that lead to crime, the police department and experiences with discrimination.
In response to the survey, city leaders are launching a gun violence intervention grant program. The program, which will go live on May 23, is for community organizations to receive up to $15,000 in funding to help combat gun violence.
“99% of what police departments do or law enforcement does is we’re reacting to violent crime, we’re trying to get more and more proactive,” said Chief Drew.
Assistant City Manger Alan Archer said it's important there's a partnership between the citizens and the city to move forward.
“We need the community, we really want to encourage the community to take an active role and get involved, and we want to help fund those organizations that can do the work and together I think we’ll be able to achieve quite a bit,” Archer said.
For more information on the grant program, click here.
