After a string of shootings, Virginia Beach considers adding dozens of cameras and other measures to increase Oceanfront surveillance

Virginia Beach — Virginia Beach City Council members have called for more security cameras, lighting and a gunshot detection system at the Oceanfront to improve safety after a string of shootings.

On the evening of March 26, two people died, one from officer gunfire, and eight others were injured. Police have said no video footage captured the officer fatally shooting 25-year-old Donovon Lynch, a resident who was not involved in the initial shootings involving the nine others.

At the request of Vice Mayor Jim Wood and Councilwoman Barbara Henley on Tuesday, City Manager Patrick Duhaney presented a $1.87 million plan to fund public safety efforts at the Oceanfront including:

More than $1.2 million to purchase and install 42 cameras along the Boardwalk, and Atlantic and Pacific Avenues. The city already has 50 cameras in the resort area, Police Chief Paul Neudigate has said.
$240,000 for a gunshot detection system, which will determine the location of gunshots within a 3-square mile area.
$117,000 for 13 temporary street lights that can be placed in areas with safety concerns. On Wednesday, Duhaney said in a statement that after an officer shot Lynch, police and firefighters carried his body about a half of a block to a spot with more lighting.
$233,000 for a national ballistics information database called BrassTRAX System to help police solve gun-related crimes quicker.
$80,000 to pay a consultant to evaluate police staffing levels, police response times and crime data. The police force is currently understaffed.

Duhaney, however, said local government and police can’t handle crime prevention alone, and the city will try to improve relations with the community.

“We have a lot of work to do, not just as a city, but as a nation, dealing with issues of racism, equity, social justice and violence,” Duhaney said. “…For us to make meaningful progress, members of our community must play key roles and we must come together to explore what we can do collectively to make our city safe but also to bridge all of the divides.”

The proposal, scheduled to be voted on during next Tuesday’s council meeting, would be paid for with funds set aside to respond to the pandemic.

Wood also delivered a letter to council members that laid out a proposal to increase compensation for the police, fire, EMS and the sheriff’s office. Duhaney will report back to the council with cost estimates before the next yearly budget is finalized in May.

“We must act now and create a meaningful compensation adjustment that will make us more competitive in the attraction of new officers and provide an incentive for our experienced officers to remain,” Wood wrote in his letter.

An early morning along the Boardwalk looking south from 14th Street. (L. Todd Spencer)

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Councilman Aaron Rouse said he supports police and the nearly $2 million plan to improve surveillance and policing at the Oceanfront.

But he and Councilwoman Sabrina Wooten said the council also should focus on improving trust with the community by fully funding a police citizen review panel with subpoena powers. Both expressed concerns the council was not exploring how to give more power to the city’s Investigation Review Panel.

“If you support the police, help the police build better community relationships,” Rouse said. “That starts with investing in the citizens review panel.”

In March, six of 11 council members said during a retreat that they did not want to give the review panel the authority to conduct investigations into complaints from citizens alleging police misconduct.

Wooten and Rouse said they plan to put the topic on the agenda next week.

“We have not given the dedication and time to the citizens review panel,” Wooten said. “It needs to be on the agenda.”

Alissa Skelton, 757-995-9043, alissa.skelton@pilotonline.com.