As winter weather lingers, Virginia Beach police are already preparing for spring — a season that in the past brought an increase in violence at the Oceanfront, according to Police Chief Paul Neudigate.
The department is reviewing new strategies aimed at preventing incidents ahead of the busy spring season, particularly around “Week 17,” a period that typically draws large crowds.
Video from April of last year shows chaos erupting during an unpermitted pop-up event at 17th Street Park, when someone pulled out a gun and began firing. People ran in panic as police officers were around the crowd. Eleven Virginia Beach police officers were nearby at the time.
Between April 25 and April 27 last year, police made 50 arrests, seized 28 guns and reported three people shot…