PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Nine public speakers at Portsmouth’s City Council meeting on Tuesday evening pleaded for solutions to the violence that has plagued Olde Towne and other areas in Portsmouth recently – and Police Chief Stephen Jenkins said he will speak on the matter more at his quarterly chief’s forum Wednesday.
Business owners described worries about property damage, public drinking and drug use, street takeovers, reckless driving, litter, and "sheer lawlessness" – and that’s to say nothing of the shootings that have taken place.
At 2:46 a.m. Sunday, a man was shot in the 300 block of High Street, in the heart of Olde Towne. Later the same day, at 5:30 p.m., three people were shot in the 2300 block of Jefferson Street, not far outside of Olde Towne. One of them, 44-year-old Danyelle Akoya Lee, later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Kathleen Cullen, vice president of the Olde Towne Business Association representing about 100 businesses, said there is a high level of concern.
“Our businesses, employees, guests, and visitors need to feel safe for commerce to thrive,” she said. “This is an emergency that is impacting people in neighborhoods across the city.”
Various speakers called for immediate action, ranging from calling in the Virginia State Police or National Guard to actions such as the creation of enhanced penalty zones, a moratorium on new approvals for event and entertainment use permits until the police department gets more staffing, and enhanced pay for police officers so that they will want to come work for Portsmouth.
“We’ve had two weekends of sheer lawlessness all over our city,” said Tony Goodwin, a local business owner who said he’s focused a lot of his effort on High Street. He also suggested additional signage for private schools, preschools, and daycares to warn criminals that there are additional penalties within a school zone.
“Allowing this domestic terrorism to our residents and businesses is going to be the death of this city,” he said.
Portsmouth resident Bill Dodson Jr. said he and his wife were threatened and chased by a motorcycle gang last weekend.
“My insides are just rolling over,” he said. “I’m angry. I need you guys to do something, now.”
Resident Sharon Anderson asked council to provide more funding to the police department so they have the resources to fight the problem.
“I’m begging you, pleading you, to support our chief of police,” she said.
Councilman Bill Moody agreed an immediate response is needed.
“We cannot take this bump in crime as general business that somehow we’ll get through it,” he said. “I think we have to respond with a sense of urgency.”
Chief Jenkins addressed the meeting following the public speakers, touting the use of technology – the suspect in the Jefferson Street homicide was arrested using license plate readers, and a gunshot detection system had alerted police even before the first calls were made.
He also denounced rhetoric that drives potential police officers away from the profession.
“When you demonize your police department, when we talk about 'defund the police,' when we talk about our disdain for police, (then we) wonder why we can’t get enough officers to come and work in our city,” he said. “Words have consequences, and we are struggling because of those consequences.”
Jenkins said he will discuss the crime issues in more detail at his quarterly chief’s forum at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 206 High St.