As summertime quickly approaches, residents of Chesapeake are reminded that warmer weather can sometimes bring an increase in violence. To an effort to reduce crime, police officials and representatives from the NAACP are working on an ongoing collaboration.
Dr. Shirley Auguste, a Chesapeake mother and president of the Chesapeake branch of the NAACP, recognizes that the relationship between police and the public can sometimes be rocky. Recently, Chesapeake Police Chief Mark Solesky met with local civil rights group members to discuss their Violence Interrupters Program in the South Norfolk community.
In 2022, the police department established a partnership with trusted members of the community. According to officials, this collaboration has been effective in calming tensions and reassuring residents that police are actively investigating issues. Community members have felt more comfortable sharing information with these trusted figures than with uniformed officers…