NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — As some cities in Hampton Roads are seeing a spike in violent crime, many police chiefs around the 757 have said they can’t tackle the problem alone.
That’s why Newport News is using a $25,000 grant to get the community involved.
More than 160 people have been shot so far this year across Hampton Roads. It’s a statistic that has police chiefs in the area asking for the community’s help.
That cry went out after the shooting at MacArthur Center in Norfolk.
"We're at a point now where community needs to really come together, not use it as a sound point, a talking point. We really need to come together and say and do the hard stuff," said now-former Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone at the time.
That sentiment is echoed in Newport News with Police Chief Steve Drew.
"We can’t just throw up our hands and walk away. We have to stay focused and continue," Chief Drew said.
The city has partnered with Christopher Newport University to create a 36-question community survey to try and understand concerns around safety in the city and the root causes of violence.
"There are 470 officers in Newport News. This city is almost 190,000 people, and we don’t have an officer on every block. But the citizens live on every block, people live here. The citizens know what’s going on," Chief Drew said.
The survey asks questions such as:
- How safe do you feel in your neighborhood during the day and at night?
- What are the problems you see in your neighborhood?
- What neighborhood resources do you use?
Once the results are in, Chief Drew said the city has funding available to award to different organizations around the community that can help tackle the problem in non-traditional ways.
"Whether it’s mentoring programs, or counseling, working in communities, opening doors, field trips, something to give youth or individuals 18 to 25 job training. What organizations might do that that we don’t know about?" he said.
The survey will remain open until the end of April and Chief Drew said he’s eager to get the results back and move forward.
"Then, organizations to come forward and say, ‘Yeah we can address that. We can address this issue. We have a program already that’s addressing this,’ and now we can maybe help them with funding," Chief Drew said.
Chief Drew reiterated that police can’t tackle the growing violence alone.
"It’s never going to be one entity, but collectively as a city, as a community, as a society, I think that’s how we’re going to make a difference," Chief Drew said.
You can fill out the survey online by clicking here or submitting a printed version at one of the Newport News public library branches or community centers.
Community organizations are invited to submit their contact information and a brief description of their efforts to curb violence. You can do that by clicking here.
Once the grant application is available, the city will send them an email.