VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A summer program meant to keep young people safe is making a comeback this week.
“Parks After Dark” was first launched in Virginia Beach in 2023 as a way to get young people busy while keeping them in a safe place. The program returns this Thursday and runs three nights a week through late August at Williams Farm Park.
But come next summer, the program could expand to another neighborhood.
An item on Virginia Beach City Council's Tuesday night agenda reads: "Resolution to direct the City Manager to identify sources of funding re-expansion of the Parks After Dark Program to serve the Level Green neighborhood."
The hope is to curb violence in Level Green following two recent homicides involving children.
Councilwoman Sabrina Wooten introduced the item on the agenda. In a statement to 13News Now, the councilwoman said Level Green residents she spoke to "overwhelmingly stated that they want their tax dollars to go to promoting continuous activities for youth in the neighborhood."
She called Parks After Dark a solution to their request.
All councilmembers voted yes to work to expand the program by next summer, except for Councilman Chris Taylor who abstained from the vote.
“I don’t have enough data to see if the level of violence is more so in Level Green than at Mount Trashmore in that community, in other communities,” Councilman Taylor said at the council's work session Tuesday.
Expanding the Parks After Dark program isn’t the only plan in the works for Level Green. Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate announced last week that "ShotSpotter" gunshot detectors will be installed in the neighborhood by July.
Parks After Dark ramps up this Thursday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Williams Farm Park. For more information, click here.