VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Following a Saturday night shooting at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront that injured eight people, city leaders are pushing for a General Assembly bill to help police manage large, unpermitted gatherings.
Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate and Mayor Bobby Dyer have made it clear they need help.
"I would ask the community to please reach out to your delegates, your senators and express that your VBPD is asking for help," Neudigate said.
The proposed bill, sponsored by Hampton Delegate Virgil Thornton, would allow police to create pop-up event zones.
Within these zones, police could increase enforcement by making areas gun-free, reducing speed limits with increased fines, and implementing curfews for minors. Police would be required to notify the community of their plans in advance.
"The intent of the bill is pretty basic: to keep people safe when they're gathering together, particularly when those people are young and might not make the best decisions," Thornton said.
News 3 asked Thornton whether his bill could have helped police during Saturday's situation, when large groups gathered at the Oceanfront before a fight broke out and the shooting occurred.
"It'll definitely give it some guardrails and that's what we're wanting to do with this bill versus having events pop up and then catching police off-guard," Thornton said.
The legislation could also address issues in neighboring cities. Hampton's mayor pointed out this type of enforcement could have helped a few weeks ago when a large, unpermitted crowd gathered at Buckroe Beach following posts on social media.
"Hopefully we can get some legislation to help us be able to address these in a quicker and more efficient manner," Mayor Jimmy Gray said.
The bill was shelved this year, but there are plans to bring it back next year.
"There is additional work that needs to be done to the bill we do plan to reintroduce it," Thornton said.
Virginia Beach leaders believe the legislation would be beneficial.
"We have to get the tools for the police to be able to identify the people that are carrying the guns and preemptively get them away before a terrible accident happens," Mayor Bobby Dyer said.
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