CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – More than 100 people turned out to discuss local violence and how to prevent it at Burley Middle School on Tuesday, January 28. It was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a recently launched regional initiative to reduce violent crime by increasing community involvement.

The floor was wide open, but a primary question was how to protect and reach out to local youth.

One woman had recently lost her brother after a group of young people he hadn’t known for long gave him what they claimed was Percocet, a prescription medication. Instead, it was laced with fentanyl. Her brother, who had never taken an illegal drug, died. Two days later, his body was found in his apartment.

“How do we come together as communities? Of course, we need the police’s help,” she said. “But how do we, one, become more aware that no one’s immune, no one. And how do we protect our youth in all of this?”

Emily Dooley, who sits on the Charlottesville School Board, said schools do all they can but they’re strapped.

“The schools are grappling with so much. Homelessness, addiction, violence: it all comes into our buildings,” she said. “And then we’re also supposed to be teaching.”

Some spoke of resources. Joanna Jennings’ sons were out riding their bikes when shots rang out in the neighborhood in the early afternoon. She also works at Region Ten.

“I’ve been personally impacted by this. And I also want to say that Region Ten offers free courses on mental health first aid.”

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a partnership between the city, Albemarle County, and the University of Virginia. It is made possible by a national program that was launched by the U.S. Department of Justice. Its goals are to increase community engagement, prioritize prevention and intervention, implement strategic enforcement, aims to reduce violent crime in American cities and communities, ensure accountability and evaluation, and build trust between law enforcement and the community.