Virginia Beach Plans Violence Interruption Pilot Program This Spring

“It’s going to not be cheap, but neither is the cost of the headlines, neither is the impact to businesses, and most importantly, the loss of life or harm to human beings that occurs,” Councilman Michael Berlucchi said, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

Virginia Beach plans to launch a violence interruption pilot program at the Oceanfront this spring to prevent conflicts among young adults before they escalate into physical violence. The strategy is one of 27 recommendations presented to the City Council on Tuesday by an advisory group tasked with finding public safety solutions for the resort area.

The proposal requires the City Council to approve a contract with a firm that trains community members to intervene in potential disputes, acting as a layer of de-escalation before police involvement. This move follows three shootings that occurred earlier this spring, including two in the resort area, which previously led to the implementation of a controversial all-ages curfew.

In response to those incidents, Mayor Bobby Dyer formed a task force to address community safety. The 19-member group was co-chaired by Republican State Sen. Christie New Craig and Democrat Del. Michael Feggans.

City officials are looking to supplement traditional law enforcement with non-police intervention. The goal is to foster authentic dialogue with the young adults who visit the area during the peak spring season.

“We feel like it is something that we should try,” City Manager Patrick Duhaney said at Tuesday’s meeting. “We need additional support from somebody that is not the police, helping us to have good, authentic conversation with young adults that come down and visit during the spring to help deescalate situations when they arise.”

The task force emphasized that the program is not intended to replace the police department. Instead, Deputy City Manager Monica Croskey noted during her presentation that the group saw an opportunity for partnerships. To ensure accountability, the task force suggested the city require these violence interrupters to provide detailed reporting on their community engagements.

Neighboring Portsmouth already utilizes a similar program. While the exact cost of the Virginia Beach pilot is still being determined, Duhaney said several firms have submitted proposals and a procurement process will begin soon.

Beyond the violence interruption program, the city is pursuing several other measures to manage the Oceanfront and the ViBe Creative District. This includes a renewed effort to gain more authority from the General Assembly. Virginia Beach plans to request that the state allow police to establish special event zones with the power to impose temporary curfews, set occupancy limits, and increase penalties for specific traffic and public safety violations.

Enhance street lighting throughout the resort area.
Convert portions of Atlantic Avenue into a pedestrian mall with weekend entertainment.
Establish official closing times for public parks at the Oceanfront and in the ViBe Creative District.

During a council retreat in January, Councilwoman Jennifer Rouse urged her colleagues to focus heavily on the task force’s recommendations, particularly regarding the city’s younger population.

“If we keep the youth in mind, everything else is going to improve,” Rouse said. “I’d love for this to be at top of mind as we consider our priorities.”

“I don’t think we can afford not to try a violence interruption program,” Councilman Berlucchi said.