By WECT Staff | June 1, 2020 at 1:05 PM EDT – Updated June 1 at 1:05 PM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – One-by-one interim Wilmington Police Chief Donnie Williams read off the names of those who have died as resulted of gunfire this year.
Williams hopes a new three-prong planned to reduce gun violence in Wilmington will cut down on the number of fatal shootings in the future.
From Jan. 1 to May 25, there were 140 victims of gun-related violence in the Port City, including seven fatal shootings.
In 2019, ShotSpotter activations jumped almost 60 percent from the year before from 400 to 639.
On Monday, police officials presented their Gun Violence Reduction Plan to members of the City Council.
- Expand PAL Program
- Bring on an intern to track success of PAL Program and its participants
- Offer criminal justice course in public schools (in-school suspension classes)
- Launch media campaign with Moms-n-Mourning
- Launch billboard design contest
- Launch gun violence reduction tour with area churches
- Recruit a gang liaison
- Public awareness campaign (See Something, Say Something; Call WPD to discard unwanted guns; report lost or stolen weapons)
- Initiate a plan for a call-in
- Establish a list of area partners (law enforcement, probation, jobs, community Programs)
- Establish a list of individuals to participate on call-in
- Set a date
- Track success of program and follow-up with participants
- Re-focus resources and manpower to address juvenile gun violence
- Enhance partnerships with Juvenile Justice
- Focus enforcement efforts on violent offenders
- Re-focus manpower and resources
- Partnering with the NHCSO, NCSHP, and other federal agencies
- Partnering with the District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for faster prosecutions of violent offenders
Officials with the Wilmington Police Department present a three prong plan to curb the recent increase in gun violence to city council.
Posted by Kendall McGee WECT on Monday, June 1, 2020
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