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Portsmouth gun violence at center of roundtable discussion with state leaders

Sen. Tim Kaine and Congressman Bobby Scott focused on the best way to utilize hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding to tackle gun violence.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Gun violence and the need to reduce crime have been talking points in Portsmouth for years. 

Tuesday morning, it once again became the center of a roundtable discussion with Virginia Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Bobby Scott.

Portsmouth city leaders and juvenile advocates sat at the table to put words into action.

In the 2022 Congressionally Designated Spending Dollars for Hampton Roads, Senators Kaine and Mark Warner requested $199,000 in federal funding to go toward the Friends of Portsmouth Juvenile Court

At the roundtable, many of the advocates expressed concern about younger people dropping out of school and getting involved in gang activity. They also expressed the ongoing problems of the negative impacts on children when their parents are incarcerated for a long period of time.

At the beginning of the meeting, Rep. Scott expressed not only the need for more funding, but the importance of where to allocate that money. 

He said states like Virginia spend a lot of money on correctional services. But if you compare the amount of money to the budget, he said there are other ways to manage investments. 

"If we can do that, the violence will be reduced...and in fact, the investments you make in that will be so effective that you'll save as much money as you spend, by reducing criminal justice costs," said Rep. Scott.

Sen. Kaine said his biggest takeaway from the meeting was the need to invest in job opportunities for younger people to help boost the economy. 

"The challenges are huge, but there are some opportunities," said Kaine. "We got a 2.6% unemployment rate in Virginia and employers can't hire enough people and we got to put those two halves together. Kids who want an economic path and employers who are looking to hire people."

To try to tackle the challenge of keeping younger people off the streets, the advocates said they teamed up with programs in Newport News to get more people into trade school. 

They said they are also considering teaming up with programs in Richmond to allow these teens to find opportunities in a part of the state where others can't target them. 

Civil rights advocate Brandon Randleman offered up the idea of Portsmouth partnering with ride-sharing services to offer better access to safe transportation. 

Toward the end of the meeting, the President and Founder of Big H.O.M.I.E.S. Outreach Program brought in two teenagers who have first-hand experience with the impacts of gun violence in Portsmouth.

"They definitely want to feel safe...and they're tired! Like literally and mentally, they're tired," said Eugene Swinson.

One teen said he lost 15 friends to shootings and doesn't want to become the next number. He said he wants to start his own business someday. His friend added he wants to get a job while in high school.

However, both teens expressed how they deal with too many barriers to accomplish their goals. Dealing with gun violence in their own backyard, Swinson said they don't feel safe getting a job just anywhere. 

This is the exact situation Swinson said he tries to get kids and teens to avoid in Portsmouth.

"For me, the biggest thing is once they are taken care of and once the kids they are around start seeing them be successful, it's going to pull them out too...the same way the bad stuff pulled them in."

While at the meeting, the teens met with advocates sitting at the table who are now working to help them access jobs where they can make money, develop skills, and feel safe while doing it. 

Portsmouth city leaders currently have $199,000 in federal funding. Over the next few months, Portsmouth advocates will execute a plan of how to best use the money.

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