NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones is calling for a security audit for the city’s central building.
After a weekend of violence in Newport News and Virginia Beach, Jones said shoring up safety is top of mind.
"I had a call with [Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby] Dyer this morning. You know, both of our cities had violence this past weekend," said Jones.
A shooting outside of a Virginia Beach carnival at Mount Trashmore left a 15-year-old girl dead and another teen hurt last weekend. A day later in Newport News, a woman brought a gun into Riverside Regional Hospital and shot her husband before turning the gun on herself.
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Now, the Newport News mayor said he wants an audit of city hall security procedures, re-publishing those procedures for employees, and a drill within 45 days.
"The access to weapons is just too great," he said. "There’s a lot of openings in city hall, and so I know we have security and we do a good job, but this is top of mind for me."
Retired Petersburg Police Chief and current security consultant Kenny Miller applauds the move and emphasizes the importance of being proactive and not reactive.
"These drills are extremely important and the timing of it, there’s no wrong time," he said.
Miller said having these drills and auditing what’s in place not only reveals flaws, but also highlights what they’re already doing well.
"It’s more about playing chess and not playing checkers. It’s about being strategic, it’s about being methodical, it’s about being engaging, it’s about listening," he explained.
Miller recommended within that process, there are three big things to remember.
"Do we have the funding to fix it? What’s the most expeditious time to fix it? How do we make that our new normal?"
Miller said security audits not only protect current employees and visitors, but they can also attract employees to the city and build community confidence.
As for the murder-suicide at Riverside Regional Medical Center, it’s unclear how the woman brought the gun used to shoot her husband into the hospital. Riverside has a no-weapons policy.
In a statement following the shooting, a spokesperson for the hospital said: "The health and safety of our team members, Riverside patients, and their loved ones is our primary focus. We regularly review our safety protocols and procedures to ensure Riverside Health and its care facilities are safe places to heal and work. We will continue to review our safety protocols and make improvements to ensure the safety of those who work and choose Riverside for their care."