ROANOKE, Va. – New data from the Roanoke Police Department shows how gun violence incidents are concentrated within city limits. The new data was presented at Tuesday night’s Gun Violence Prevention Commission meeting.
Roanoke Police Department’s Isaac Van Patten presented data pinpointing what he calls, ‘hot spots.’ As to where the majority of gun violence incidents have occurred over the past four years. According to his data, more than 50% of gun-related calls to RPD come from Northwest Roanoke.
“What was presented tonight confirmed the concern and the desire we have for all of our neighborhoods to be safe. And that some neighborhoods in our city are more vulnerable to crime and there are a lot of factors that contribute to that,” said Gun Violence Prevention Commission Chair, Joe Cobb.
Some of those factors discussed include unemployment, blighted or damaged properties and urban parts of Roanoke. The Safer Neighborhoods subcommittee, co-chair, Tim Hurley says they plan to visit those identified areas and talk with people.
“What are the concerns of the residents? Are there problem areas? Are there places where the city can be directing attention to environmental issues that will just really give people who live in the neighborhood the sense that it is a great neighborhood, but it could be even safer and here’s how,” said Hurley.
Also during Tuesday night’s meeting, the commission adopted a new intervention training model. The new program will train 100 people in de-escalation tactics.
“Who can be trained to take that out into the community and can carry that out into the community and begin to solve conflicts before they escalate into violence,” said Cobb.