‘Life or death’: Salem community holds meeting to address gun violence

Gun violence has doubled in Salem in the last 5 years.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The City of Salem is addressing an increase in shootings with the first meeting for the Community Violence Reduction Initiative.

“I live by McKay Park. There was a shooting the other day by a 15-year-old kid with a gun. Its getting irritating,’ said Micheal Pfenning, who lives in northeast Salem.

The gathering was the first of many meetings Salem will be holding, with officials hoping the community will take part in finding solutions. 

“The level of violence in our community affects all of us,” Salem Police Department Chief Trevor Womack said. 

Oregon’s capitol has seen a rise in violent crime over the past ten years. Violence from guns, specifically, has doubled in the last five years in Salem, according to a recent report.

The city’s Community Violence Reduction Initiative is working on a strategy. That’s why the Salem Police Department is adding a position to work specifically on this plan.

“There’s no time to waste. These are life or death situations for our community members,” Womack said.

Salem police also brought in an outside consultant to put together a plan with five principles.

“Focus on fewer shootings, follow the data, measure progress, intervention and prevention, collaboration with community and police,” said Ben McBride of the Empower Initiative.

Shootings were concentrated within about five square miles in the northeast part of the city. Victims and suspects are primarily between the ages of 18 to 34.

“Their voice matters, especially those affected by the violence [who] aren’t experienced the same way as other community in Salem,” Womack said. “Some experiencing up close and personal, changing trajectories of lives.”

There have been two deadly shootings so far this year. Mayor Chris Hoy wants the community to be a part of the solution.

“The city can’t do this on our own. There’s no way. We don’t have the capacity,” Hoy said. “We don’t have the capacity right now for basic services.”

The city plans to hold three more community conversation meetings in the upcoming months with hopes of developing a community strategy to deal with violent crime and gun violence.