Newport News announced Friday that it has appointed Synethia White as its first Community Violence Prevention Manager in the city’s bid to reduce violence and enhance community safety.
During his State of the City address in March, Mayor Phillip Jones announced a goal to reduce gun violence homicides in the city by 15% over 18 months. One of the solutions he mentioned was establishing an Office of Community Safety “led by a strategic thinker with action-oriented credentials.”
Jones previously said the person would be “a community champion” and build a team made up of city employees, volunteers and advocates to advise the city manager and council on best practices to reduce violence in the community. In the new role, White will develop and implement violence prevention strategies, engage the community and collaborate with local organizations…