Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines says plans are underway for a youth violence prevention summit this fall.
The goal of the summit is to address the root causes that lead young people to commit crimes and put together recommendations to address the problem.
Joines says incidents are down in most major crime categories in Winston-Salem. But he says offenders and perpetrators appear to be getting younger. And that has people concerned.
“It makes them feel a bit unsafe to go out," he says. "To let their children go to events. Whether it be a high school football game, basketball game, whatever it might be. Maybe it's having a detrimental impact on our citizens’ ability to enjoy a safe way of life.”
Earlier this month, five people, including three teens, were killed in one weekend of shootings in the city.
Joines says the summit will bring together law enforcement, community groups, as well as young people from a range of social and economic backgrounds.
The summit is tentatively scheduled for October 25.