Durham says a three-day summit in June will be the point where its violence reduction plan turns from public input into a final city strategy.
Mayor Leonardo Williams gave that update while speaking about the death of Michelle Keenan, a Durham mother and community advocate killed after gunfire erupted inside her Rochelle Manor home. He said the city is trying to move from mourning and discussion toward a concrete plan.
Williams said Durham has been holding online and in-person conversations since January as officials build the plan. Residents, he said, have described what violence looks like on their blocks, what they think will reduce it, and how those views compare with national trends.
“There are people who have come to these events who are afraid to go in communities where these things are happening,” Williams said. “Then there are people living in these communities every single day, sharing what they think will solve crime.”
He also tied the planning work to the loss Keenan’s family is now carrying. “Ms. Keenan should not have lost her life,” Williams said. “She committed her life to saving others.”
The June summit matters because it is the first clear deadline city leaders have put on the process. Durham has been gathering input for months. In June, Williams says, the city will have to show what ideas made it into the final plan and what comes next.