Gun violence on the decline in Newport News: City leaders, police chief

Gun violence is down in Newport News, according to city leaders and the police chief who shared statistics Wednesday.

Chief Steve Drew said this time last year, the city was at 20 homicides. Right now, they're at 9 homicides, which is a 55% decrease. Drew said non-fatal shooting are also down by 30%.

Watch: Norfolk Police Department gives away free gun locks

Norfolk Police Department gives away free gun locks

“Every one of those numbers represent an individual, they represent a family, a community, in our city and they matter, they’re important,” said Drew.

The chief and Mayor Phillip Jones both praised the 15 community organizations that have implemented programs in the last year, serving more than 8,000 citizens.

The mayor said in total the groups have received $1.4 million in funding, with $900,000 coming from the city alone.

Watch: $2M grant to help Hampton Roads victims, communities affected by gun violence

Safer Together Initiative: $2M grant to help Hampton Roads victims, communities affected by gun violence

“These programs we invest in address food insecurity, vocational training, education, mental health and conflict resolution, and they are clearly making a direct impact on our city,” said Jones.

Jones also announced the creation of a new office - the office of community safety. The mission is to reduce youth gun violence and promote resiliency. They're hiring now for a director.

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