RPD, City Council marks June as Gun Violence Prevention Month
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The people who wear the blue are now proud to be sporting some orange.
On Tuesday, Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown joined city council members to declare June as "Gun Violence Prevention Month" in the City of Raleigh.
Businesses, police cars and even uniforms will be part of the orange crush.
In her remarks, the chief released new data about a rise in gun-related crimes in the city, calling them "growing pains."
"The gunshot victims and their families, they face two kinds of scars: those seen and those unseen," Deck-Brown lamented. "We can all be involved. Not letting a moment pass when we know someone has a firearm and we know they're going to use it for wrongdoing and we don't say anything about it until afterwards. It's too late to be the advocate for that person."
According to RPD, 112 people were shot between July 1, 2018, and May 31, 2019, versus 82 in the 2017-2018 - a 37 percent increase.
Chief Deck-Brown also spoke extensively about RPD's Firearm Violence Reduction Strategy, a three-pillared plan that promotes police training,intelligence-led policing and community partnerships.
