PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Wednesday, Portsmouth police were continuing to investigate a Nov. 11 shooting that sent four people to the hospital.
As News 3 has reported, the shooting is believed to be gang related but as of Wednesday exactly how it was gang related was unclear.
In a video, Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins has since said the shooting has some kind of gang connection.
News 3 reached out to the police department's spokesperson Wednesday to ask for an interview with Jenkins. The spokesperson said the chief would not be doing additional interviews.
Jenkins did, however, respond to a text from News 3 asking for clarification about the term gang nexus, which he used in his video.
"A gang nexus means that we are able to tie individuals to their participation in gangs and activities related to gangs," said Jenkins.
Richard James spent nearly 30 years with the Norfolk Police Department and was a department head and professor for forensic science and criminal justice at Tidewater Community College. He said there are different types of
“There’s community gangs that you have to deal with that are usually associated with schools and neighborhoods and the like," said former Norfolk Police Officer Richard James. "Then, there are criminal gangs that do criminal activity; break-ins, carjackings, things like that. Of course, you also have drug gangs that deal with, strictly, drug activity."
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'Like a war out here:' Portsmouth PD say 1 dead, 4 hurt in overnight shootings
During his time in law enforcement, he said he saw the age of gang members being recruited get younger.
"I think the reason why the everyday citizen is not aware of the gang activity that's going on is because gangs are part of what we call a sub-culture," James explained. “They have their own communications, their own areas they deal with. They have their own network system and it all works almost underground, if you will, from the general population."
One challenge with investigating gangs and prosecuting gang members is getting people to testify in open court.
“Once a person’s accused of a crime and you have probable cause under the fourth amendment, that person who is accused of a crime has a constitutional right to face his accuser," James said. "That’s a problem that comes in when you have everyday citizens that come in to testify in court. They feel threatened by going into open court and testifying against a person who may recognize them, know where they live at."
Watch previous coverage: 'Like a war out here:' Portsmouth Police say 1 dead, 4 hurt in overnight shootings
On July 1, new laws took effect in Virginia to crack down on gang activity. The minimum prison sentence for criminal street gang participation increased and both the minimum and maximum increased for gang members who involve juveniles.
Punishment for third or subsequent convictions and gang activity in school zones also changed.
The apparent gang-related shooting was one of three recent acts of gun violence in the city Jenkins addressed in his video.
“To those individuals who continue to perpetrate these acts in our city, we at the police department, and as a city, will continue to work together to make our community safe for everyone and bring you to justice," Jenkins said.
The National Gang Center provides answers to more than a dozen frequently asked questions about gangs, including what can be done.
In part, the answer says "There is no quick, easy fix."
A community’s responses to its gang problem must be based on a solid theoretical understanding of gangs—their social patterns and individual member behaviors—as well as programs and practices supported by systematic research and successful experience in the field.
James said at a conference he attended in which a gang leader spoke about reducing gang recruitment and violence, the gang leader offered two suggestions.
"The gang member said, as a message to parents, you need to spend more time with your children than the gang leaders spend," James said. "Because the gang leader's going to be at the bus stop, going to be at the high school games, they're going to be at the basketball court. They're going to be at all those places because the parents are not there supervising (kids.) From a community standpoint, you have to say something. If you see something, say something."
If you have any information about the Nov. 11 shooting, call the Portsmouth Police Department at 757-393-8356 or you can remain anonymous by calling 1-800-LOCK-UP.
