ROANOKE, Va. – The City of Roanoke’s Gun Violence Prevention framework is being recognized by Virginia’s Department of Criminal Justice Services.
During a presentation to Virginia’s DCJS on Wednesday, city leaders examined the parallels between poverty and gun violence while also noting the positive changes made in the city.
Nearly 57% of families in Roanoke live in poverty, according to city leaders.
“You’ll see that some of the areas that are most greatly impacted by gun violence also have the least amount of access to healthcare, or food security and tend to be a higher rated poverty area,” said Roanoke Gun Violence Prevention Commission chairman, Joe Cobb.
Those areas officials call crime “hot spots” are parts of Northwest Roanoke. To change this, city leaders are working to bring resources into those neighborhoods.
“We want to make sure what we are doing are matching the lived realities of people,” said Cobb.
With the help of funding, ideas are turning into actions.
[Police detail their next steps after another weekend of gun violence in Roanoke]
“Extended hours at our library and recreation centers so that youth now have a safe place to go in the evenings,” said City Manager, Bob Cowell. “We have been able to employ youth who are at risk in various city departments. this offers them money, training for a potential job and hope.”
With the help of grants, the newly hired Gang Violence Prevention Coordinator, Chris Roberts and outreach worker Jermain Johnson are beginning to make a difference.
“We are seeing some successes of our tenacity and our focus at the Melrose Library. Mr. Johnson has been there for three weeks now. Negative behaviors have decreased there,” said Roberts. “More communication among the kids with Mr. Johnson and the librarians have increased. We are starting to identify individuals that we can work with and program with.”