VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach city leaders are considering 27 recommendations aimed at improving safety across the city and changing perceptions of the Oceanfront following three violent incidents this past spring.
The recommendations were presented to City Council on Tuesday by the mayor's task force for a safer Virginia Beach. They focus on improving the resort area while also addressing concerns across the broader community.
Mayor Bobby Dyer said the recommendations bring together several ideas that have been discussed for years into a more formal action plan.
"These are a lot of individual things people have been talking about for a long time," Dyer said.
At the Oceanfront, the recommendations include improving street lighting, cleaning up storefronts, adding more entertainment, and potentially turning portions of Atlantic Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly space on Friday and Saturday nights.
The task force is also pushing for a violence interruption program, which would bring in people outside of law enforcement to help de-escalate potentially dangerous situations.
City Manager Patrick Duhaney said the city could pilot the program at the Oceanfront this spring.
"We feel we need additional support from someone who is not the police, helping us to have good, authentic conversations with young adults who come down and visit during the spring to help de-escalate situations when they arise," Duhaney said.
Other recommendations include expanding mental health crisis response teams, improving youth access to jobs and transportation, and enhancing street lighting throughout the city.
City Councilman Michael Berlucchi emphasized there is limited time to put some of the recommendations into action before the next spring season.
"It's not going to be cheap, but neither is the cost of headlines and impact to businesses, and most importantly, loss of life or harm to human beings. We cannot afford not to try the violence interruption program," Berlucchi
City leaders said staff members are already working on several of the recommendations and expect to bring City Council an update in December or January.
Dyer said he does not want the recommendations to become another plan that sits on a shelf without being implemented.
Watch for John Hood's reporting on News 3 and WTKR.com. Have a story idea or tip for John? Email him.
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
