ROANOKE, Va. – A teenager’s death over the weekend and other recent shootings have Roanoke city leaders re-evaluating what’s working and what’s not in their efforts to combat gun violence.
10 News sat down with Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea after he reached out to talk about the changes he wants to make when it comes to fighting gun violence in Roanoke.
Mayor Lea emphasized the need for Roanoke to get more aggressive when it comes to fighting this problem.
“It’s frustrating. It’s very frustrating. We are doing as much as we feel we can,” said Mayor Lea.
Mayor Lea spoke about how he wants the city to be stricter when fighting gun violence, specifically when it comes to holding suspects accountable.
“We just can’t take the lower part of the sentencing guideline. You need to leave here and go to prison if you’re shooting involved and apprehended for killing someone, even shooting we need to stiffen penalties up,” said Mayor Lea.
Mayor Lea said he regularly speaks with other mayors in the Commonwealth and across the country who are dealing with gun violence to get ideas on how to combat the issue.
“Everybody is looking at violence interrupters, interrupt some of the things that are going on. Maybe we need to do more of that,” Mayor Lea said.
One way Mayor Lea hopes to do more of that is by hiring more police officers and adding security officers at violence hot spots.
“I want to look at maybe getting more security for the housing developments and working with the redevelopment housing authority so they can have their security staffed,” Mayor Lea said.
Mayor Lea said there is not a lack of effort from the city in trying to curb gun violence, but the recent rise in shootings is making them go back to the drawing board and think about these new strategies.
“Roanoke is my city and as mayor, I am responsible to do all that we can do,” said Mayor Lea.
Roanoke also offers monetary rewards to people who provide information that can lead to an arrest and conviction of a suspect who committed a violent crime.
You can call the Roanoke Police tip line at 540-344-8500 to submit a tip about this weekend’s shooting or other recent crimes. Tips can remain anonymous.