NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Virginia lawmakers are in their final week of session, and communities on the Peninsula are watching closely to see if Newport News and Hampton will be added to a state program designed to help fund gun violence prevention efforts.
The Virginia General Assembly is considering expanding the Safer Communities program, which provides funding for initiatives like after-school programs and violence interrupters. Norfolk and Portsmouth are already part of the program, but Newport News and Hampton could be added.
The push comes as the Newport News nonprofit Ketchmore Kids faced funding cuts last year when the Trump administration moved to reduce federal spending. Co-founder Troy Ketchmore said he is hopeful state funding could help recover some of what was lost. The organization works with young people, including teaching them ways to resolve conflicts without violence.
"Just because you and someone has a situation doesn't mean it has to equal death," Ketchmore said.
Newport News's Comprehensive Community Safety Plan calls for partnering with community groups like Ketchmore Kids.
"When things are great they're there promoting change and when bad things they're there as a positive partner in recovery and appropriate trauma responses," said Synethia White, the city's community violence prevention manager.
The city reported 18 homicides in 2025 — the fewest in more than a decade. While 2026 started off quietly, Newport News saw 5 homicides in an 11-day period in February.
Around that time, Mayor Phillip Jones co-authored an opinion piece in the Richmond Times-Dispatch calling for the city to join the Safer Communities program, writing that being part of the program would further strengthen the work they're doing to reduce crime.
"The call that we made to the entire community is that we need all hands on deck," Jones said in an interview with News 3.
Virginia lawmakers will work to finalize budget differences during the upcoming week, with their session scheduled to end Saturday. Community members are hoping 2025's momentum will continue into 2026.
"Everybody's working. It just takes a little bit of time. We can't drink the Kool-Aid. We have to stay the course," Ketchmore said.
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