PORTLAND, Ore. — After a record 96 homicides in Portland in 2022, leader of the Interfaith Peace and Action Collaborative Dr. J.W. Matt Hennessee said there's more that can be done to not have a repeat in 2023. The collaborative brings problem solvers from all backgrounds together with the goal of eliminating gun violence.
Last year, Hennessee came up with some steps he felt the city should take in order to cut down on the violence.
"It's very important that the city makes this a priority number one, secondly to really invest in community based organizations and make sure the emergency declarations so there could be a focus on gun violence," Hennessee said.
Mayor Ted Wheeler did announce an emergency declaration last summer to address the gun violence, the goal was to reduce gun violence by ten percent over the next two years. Dr. Hennessee said the issue won't be easy to solve. He said this year, city leaders as well as himself need more boots on the ground, which means meeting face to face with gang leaders and people involved with crime.
"It's very important we reach out to those that are calling the shots on the street," Hennessee said. "We sit down with them and really talk with them."
Hennessee is no stranger to loss. He understands what it's like to lose a family member to gun violence.
"My own stepson was killed in May of 2021 in broad daylight," Hennessee said.
He would also like victims of gun violence to be memorialized. He would like the city to launch a website that details when and where the victim was shot.