Fairview Neighborhood meets after recent Lynchburg shootings
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) -- Families living in a local neighborhood plagued by violence are looking for answers, after violence struck twice in the Fairview Neighborhood within the past two weeks.
READ MORE: UPDATE: Teen taken into custody, victim identified in Younger Park shooting
The community came together to discuss solutions on how to make their beloved neighborhood safer Monday night during a neighborhood meeting at Fairview Recreation Center.
Lynchburg Police are asking for the public's help in making the streets a safer place.
"There's nobody better than you guys in your neighborhoods," says Sgt. Rater from the Lynchburg Police Department Community Action Team. "You know your neighborhoods better than we do. You live there."
The hope is to create leaders in neighborhoods like Fairview to self-police, and it starts with discussions about growing drug and gang activity in the area.
Even if the violence associated with that kind of crime doesn't happen often, once can be too much.
"Statistically, Lynchburg is a very safe community, we don't see high numbers," says Deputy Chief of Lynchburg Police Department Todd Swisher. "However, when you're the victim of a crime, none of that matters."
This neighborhood watch meeting was a first step.. and a hopeful one.
"They are proactive, and I'm proud of the neighborhood for that tonight," says concerned resident Mildred McQueen. "Not so much as being reactive, they want to be proactive."
