City Council Special Formal Meeting, 4/16/2026

Folks, I'm going to call this meeting to order.

And in accordance with the Virginia Beach City Code 2-21 and with the authority vested in me as the mayor of City of Virginia Beach, I hereby call for a special formal session of the Virginia Beach City Council [snorts] uh Thursday uh April 26th at 4:00 City Council Chamber, Building 1, second floor 2401 Courthouse Drive.

And the purpose of this special is to consider the following: an ordinance to authorize a temporary curfew and and to authorize certain additional actions to assist law enforcement at the resort area.

This special uh formal session will be broadcast on cable TV virginiabeach.gov and Facebook Live. Sincerely, Bobby Dyer.

Okay, we're ready to go forward. At this point, we're going to ask Chief Neudigate to come up.

[snorts] Good afternoon, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of Council. Um thank you for your leadership during this incredibly trying time.

It is clear that you truly support public safety and are committed to protecting our residents, our visitors, and our business owners.

To our stakeholders [snorts] of our Virginia Beach Oceanfront our business owners our restaurant operators, our staff, our residents, our valued guests I want to be clear every single member of our community is at the top of my mind and I hear you.

I feel the weight of your concerns regarding the economic and operational impact of an expanded curfew.

I know that after a quiet winter, this is the critical time for revenue and for welcoming back our valued guests.

However, that concern must be balanced by our absolute non-negotiable responsibility to protect and preserve life.

When we have eight people shot in one incident, six in another within just one month, we are no longer dealing with a mere nuisance or an acceptable level of crime.

We have experienced a public safety crisis.

And I know there are a lot of suggestions on how we address this.

So, where I would like to start is what we have done as a council and a city and a police department to address crime at the oceanfront over the last 5 years.

Started with implementing ShotSpotter, gunshot detection.

[snorts] Allows our officers to have an pinpoint location within seconds of where gunfire is occurring at our oceanfront.

And it shows that we have decreasing gunshot activity year over year due to the quick response and immediate arrest.

We acquired a former problematic bar that is now a police substation.

And we have a fraction of the incidents in that block that we used to.

We created three new resort liaison positions.

A sergeant, two officers whose full-time job is to work with the stakeholders on crime and quality of life issues.

We bought some electric trikes. I'm sure everyone has seen them down there for increased mobility uh and visibility for our cop officers.

We continue to partner with Virginia State Police when possible. I know that that has come up. There's been a lot of questions.

Virginia State Police is a great partner.

And they will send resources when they can, especially when we know in advance that we're going to have issues. It's very hard to have a problem Friday night and to get a whole number of troopers to be here on a Saturday because council, much like your Virginia Beach Police Department, they are understaffed. They have a staffing issue.

And uh they also have full-time responsibilities of providing public safety on all the highways, freeways, and many of our less incorporated areas.

[snorts] Since 2021, one of the first calls that I made when we started talking about oceanfront safety, was the sheriff.

Uh since then, uh they have been incredibly gracious.

And Rocky Holcomb has carried forth with the tradition that uh Sheriff Stahli that they will be great partners and augment our staffing at the oceanfront.

So, if there's any question about us reaching out to VSP, reaching out to VBSO, those are things that happen on the routine. And they have been.

Uh social media monitoring, something that our team does quite well.

Trying to track when these pop-up events may happen.

Sometimes though, uh they're better than we are. They hide their interactions.

They have went from open-source social media to Snapchat and other encrypted apps. It makes it incredibly hard for your PD, your VBPD, to track and monitor when we may have uh unsanctioned pop-up incidents.

And we spend several hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars and overtime every year to augment and supplement staffing at the oceanfront.

Much to the city manager's chagrin, I would imagine, but I overspent my overtime budget by a million dollars last year.

And the vast majority of that was to help keep our oceanfront safe.

And I would tell you that it's all incredibly difficult being 86 I take that back. I just got an email before I stepped up here. 88 officers short.

Um that is a little literal police precinct.

We have four police precincts.

I'm virtually operating one without any any bodies because they are spread so thin.

What has also changed is the oceanfront has shifted from a traditional college beach weekend to a regional collision point for hundreds and sometimes thousands of unattended minors and young adults.

I will tell you that the historic week 17, the college beach weekend, that's a misnomer.

Any spring weekend and sometimes now a random Wednesday during the week when it's warm has the possibility to become an unpredictable flash point for the day trippers that come down here with their pre-existing community and school conflicts to Atlantic Avenue.

What has also changed is the proliferation of weapons.

On certain weekends, we have dozens of people open carrying firearms.

Many times they're not just pistols, they're long guns, they're MAC-90s, they're AR-15s that are strapped to their chest that they are walking up and down Atlantic Avenue with these weapons.

Perfectly legal.

This does not count the number of individuals that are carrying concealed firearms.

Could be legally carrying with a permit.

Many are illegally carrying without a permit. Some are convicted felons.

The problem that we have council, we cannot just do random stop and frisk.

I've heard the comments about doing wandings.

That is not legal for us to do.

We have to have reasonable articulable suspicion beyond the firearm to approach someone and investigate further. We can see someone printing a firearm, but unless we have specific articulable suspicion and know something about that individual that would lead us to believe that he didn't have a permit, he was a convicted felon, we can't legally approach and detain. We could have a consensual conversation,

but if they tell us uh go pound salt and walk away, that's where it ends.

So, I hear the you know, the request to take the guns off the streets.

Our folks do as best as they can with the legislation that is currently in place that allows a proliferation of firearms down to our ocean front.

So, council, these are the challenges that have led to our two recent shootings.

March 6th, six people shot.

This past Saturday, April 11th, eight more in a confrontation that lasted a mere 12 seconds.

All while we had 90 officers flooding known hotspot areas.

So, I'd like to address some of the questions about why the curfew is needed and why existing laws are not adequate.

I will tell you that the enforcement of assault, disorderly conduct laws, they're reactive.

They're not proactive.

And they often allow the behavior to escalate into violence before the police can intervene, especially during the large-scale unpermitted events at the oceanfront.

And while these statutes against disorderly conduct, assault, abusive language exist, they're not sufficient to proactively manage large crowds.

So, the VBPD, we use the existing laws, but they're not suited to the type of conditions that we're trying to mitigate down there. Large disorderly crowds, sometimes up to 3,000 individuals that are walking up and down Atlantic between about a 5 to 6 block radius. They're not patronizing stores. They're not eating at our restaurants.

Uh they're not going to the beach. They are merely walking up and down, socializing till that socialization becomes conflict. And many times, the conflict is not a fight.

The conflict is when the gun comes out and the bullet is fired.

Loitering.

Many people ask about loitering. It's not illegal. There is no law against loitering.

I will tell you your officers, and we ask them to try to do their best to break up those large crowds, encourage those clusterings of teen and young adults to keep moving, but it's just that. It's encouragement.

There is no legal basis to make them do anything beyond what they're willing to do.

Jaywalking.

Not illegal. Your police department cannot stop, ticket, or arrest anyone if jaywalking is the only infraction that they are committing.

Marijuana.

And I will tell you that uh that's probably one of the top quality-of-life complaints that we receive uh is the open-air use of marijuana, the smell.

Repeatedly, I know that it's legal. I will tell you that many in our community, it's the top thing they call us to complain about. And unfortunately, we have to tell them there is little that we can do.

We know that you can legally possess up to 1 oz of cannabis in private. You can grow up to four plants.

Law enforcement cannot stop, search, seize any person or property solely based on the odor of marijuana.

The laws changed.

And use of marijuana in public is not a criminal violation.

Open can of alcohol, beer walking down the street, criminal violation.

Smoking a joint in public, not a criminal violation. A $25 civil fine. So, we get a lot of questions about why we're not enforcing the marijuana.

It's not illegal.

We get asked about vehicle checkpoints.

We use them with limited uh legal ability.

The traffic checkpoints must satisfy certain legal standards of having approved locations and a neutral selection formula so that they are not deemed as conducting unreasonable searches.

And basically, when we do a traffic checkpoint, we are looking at the data.

Where have we had fatal and injury crashes? That's where we're legally allowed to conduct those. Certain number per year. We cannot just set up checkpoints and even a DUI checkpoint at the oceanfront because we're having crime down there.

Can't legally do it.

Other laws that were available in the past that have either been rescinded or are now secondary offenses where we cannot make a primary [clears throat] stop, defective equipment, dangling objects, dark window tint, one of the complaints that we get. And remember that expired registrations have to be expired 4 months or more before we can make a stop, take any action.

It's not police department rules. This is code of Virginia.

So, knowing that we have the limitations on the resources, your city administration sought legislative changes through the Commonwealth to address these impromptu unpermitted pop-up events that threaten public safety and had it passed that would allow for flexibility with curfew implementation, traffic restrictions, gun-free zones, and higher fines within a declared geographic area.

You know, unfortunately, that bill was not enacted by the Commonwealth this session, but we are hopeful that they will reconsider it for the next session.

So, while we wait, I thank this council [snorts] for what they have been able to do to protect minors and address the safety issues from these pop-up crowds.

[snorts] We asked, and you lowered the unaccompanied minor curfew citywide from 11:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Thank you.

After the March 7th shooting, you approved the temporary imminent threat curfew for 7:00 p.m. for unaccompanied minors, and I will tell you that that curfew is working as intended.

Uh this past Saturday, when we had issues, historically, we would have probably had a crowd of 2 to 3,000. It was closer to 1,000 because we did not have the large groups of 13, 14, and 15-year-olds that we would have historically on a Saturday and a warm Saturday afternoon. So, thank you.

But unfortunately we are still having shootings.

So, I ask to help your VBPD be proactive in addressing historic violence, we're asking for the approval of a temporary imminent threat curfew that applies to everyone starting at 9:00 p.m.

in the geographical area of Rudee Loop to 31st and west of Pacific for the next two weekends Friday and Saturday and the minor curfew for 7:00 p.m. would remain in effect for those same locations.

And I know that Council, you have seen many of the presentation, but I think it's incredibly important for our community, some are here may have not seen some of the issues that your police department is actively trying to manage at the oceanfront. So, please.

All right.

First one.

The back of the to get to the mic. Okay.

Ladies and gentlemen, what you're looking at is something that we deal with quite often.

Large crowds.

This particular incident, March 7th, 2022.

And what we're experiencing is not new.

This has been historic for year after year after year.

Um someone threw firecrackers on the boardwalk and they were mistaken as gunshots. And then we had a large stampede type condition, and I think we're incredibly lucky that no one got hurt.

This is April 5th, 2025.

Everyone's familiar with the DQ lot.

We know that the 17th Street Park is right to the left of the screen, or depending on how you're looking at it.

So approximately I would say 30 yards from the edge of the screen we had an individual pulled out a firearm, started shooting at people in the crowd.

Brian. [snorts] So, what I want to point out is 30 yards from where you see the yellow arrows, we had 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 police officers clearly marked a police car.

So, I hear the concerns. I hear the questions. We need more police presence.

We need more police visibility.

Police visibility alone is not discouraging these acts.

You know, would would a 12th officer officer there made a difference? 15?

Another one from last year.

You have a VBPD officer full uniform on a blue police bike that says police, Virginia Beach.

10 yards away the gentleman in the crosswalk took issue with the drivers of the black car pulled out the handgun with the police officer 10 feet away.

Our officer did a great job, ended up chasing this individual down. Well, the Go back, Brian.

Well, this individual is fleeing he fires a shot.

We're incredibly lucky that that shot went into the ground and nobody got hurt. But, the officer would have been well within his right to resort to deadly force. We're lucky that he he was able to manage this difficult situation take this individual into custody without any further incident.

Next.

So, I I hear the I hear the call for the police.

But, more police alone is not going to solve this.

Council, I will tell you that probably 90% of the people that go down are law-abiding in most manners and police visibility is a deterrent.

But you have 10% that doesn't matter if we're there, and it doesn't matter if 10 of us are there.

Next slide.

Okay don't So, this next slide, and I will tell you that uh against the advice of your Commonwealth attorney who has to prosecute this case, I am showing you video of these recent shootings cuz I think it's critically important that you understand how quick that these go down and what your officers are dealing with.

So, on the left side of the screen is the first shooting since that occurred on March 7th, 2026.

Uh if you will keep an eye maybe about where that pole is, uh you're going to see this go down incredibly quick. Left side of the screen where the pole is.

Lieutenant.

Gentleman in the red jacket pulls a gun.

More guns are pulled.

Multiple shots are fired.

Police are just down the street.

Lieutenant, next slide.

This recent shooting, April 11th, Lieutenant Zell or Lieutenant Deputy Chief Zellms is actually out there on a Saturday night overseeing operations for us.

Uh and this is where we go back to the juvenile curfew where you saw earlier what sometimes happens uh along Atlantic in the Dairy Queen lot. This was that night, a much smaller crowd. The juvenile curfew is helping. We only have about a thousand individuals.

And for all intent and purposes, it was a really good night at the oceanfront.

Uh no issues, very few calls for service. The Deputy Chief tells me we didn't break up any fights.

So, you can see about 9:50, very light crowd. We don't have a whole lot of people on the on the oceanfront on Atlantic. If you will watch the middle of the screen to the right-hand side, you're going to see something go down in 12 seconds.

Just like the other one.

That incident resulted in eight people being shot between uh the gunfire from three individuals. And Council, very pleased to announce that the third individual involved in this was just arrested. Uh the Deputy Chief Wilson just advised that we have made uh the third and final arrest. So, uh kudos to them and their investigative team.

Next slide.

Police enforcement, something that we hear about and there's been questions about police enforcement and what we're doing.

Going to show you a slide. I know many of you have seen it.

Caused a little bit of concern last year when we had an incredibly bad weekend for week 17.

But, this is what we seized in about 36 hours last week 17 where we made 50-plus arrests. So, I'm I'm hearing some comments about current arrest and what our officers are doing out there. And I will tell you that uh I think some of them are a little offended that these questions are happening. I know I'm offended on their behalf because the same highly motivated proactive officers that seized all those guns,

they're out there every weekend right now. And if there's guns to be seized and people that need to go to jail, they're going to put them in jail.

So, if there is some perception that some in the community have that your VBPD officers do not know what their mandate is, I can tell you that is unequivocally false.

They know what to do and they will go out and do their best to take illegally possessed guns off and lock up bad guys to the best of their ability.

So, our historic responses Sorry, the eyes aren't as good as what they were, so you know, we cancel off days like we mentioned, we partner with VBSO, we ask VSP for assistance and they provide it when they have the resources.

We traffic flush at land Atlantic Atlantic Avenue.

Um, one of the big ones that we hear is we cannot enforce jaywalking, we cannot enforce marijuana use, loitering is not a crime, we don't have the legal authority to just set up checkpoints with limited exceptions, those are deemed unconstitutional.

We've tried event programming, we've tried messaging, and we are still having problems.

And I would offer that Virginia Beach is not alone in this issue.

Uh, we know Miami Beach has went through this.

Uh, Panama City Beach just went through this and I took a call from the Panama City Beach Police Chief, Chief J.R. Talamantes, this morning.

He saw what we were going through and they went through it last year.

So he was really calling out with his support. So we spent a while on the phone and I will tell you that your VBPD is using the same tactics and strategies that Panama City Beach is that in most regards that Miami Beach is in most regards, uh Myrtle Beach in most regards.

So last year when Panama City Beach was really struggling with spring break violence and they had seven shootings within a 10-day period they implemented a strict curfew that lasted for 2 and 1/2 weeks so that they could quell the violence.

So when I talked to the chief this morning [snorts] Chief, I see Panama City Beach is doing really well this year.

What's the difference?

The curfew that we implemented last year we did not wait until we had gun violence.

We implemented it early, often, we messaged it to the community. And as of today they have one shooting incident with no one struck and they're counting it as a success.

And I will tell you that that is the difference between all these different tools the cities are trying to implement the one that is having effect is the curfew.

So I'd like to conclude.

March 7th just under 12 seconds six people shot at the beach.

April 11th just about 12 seconds eight more shot at the beach with VBPD officers and sheriff's deputies mere steps away.

It's not just a beach problem.

[snorts] As I mentioned, Miami Beach, Panama City, many others dealing with the same issues that we are.

So, I would ask us all to imagine walking along Atlantic Avenue enjoying a beautiful spring evening when a hail of gunfire erupts.

And under a quarter of a minute visitors, residents, teenagers are shot.

And I think what's equally disturbing police officers were already there.

90 officers and deputies within about a 10-block radius.

And their presence did not prevent any of those shootings.

It only allowed them to react to the carnage. So, I I ask if my officers standing right there doing their duty, clearly marked uniform doesn't deter it which one of us is truly safe?

Our beautiful oceanfront has been a combat zone in the spring for years.

And we all know it. We know it happens every year at this time.

And this time, by some miracle no one died.

But we could have had 14 homicide victims over the last few weeks.

[snorts] Council community if we wait for a fatality we have already failed.

The oceanfront should be a sanctuary.

It shouldn't be a hunting ground.

[snorts] And a 9:00 p.m. curfew for all ages in the zone it's not about restriction.

It's about survival.

A strict early curfew that tells violent individuals that our oceanfront is not a venue for their chaos. And a curfew that separates our innocent visitors and local families from the pop-up violent crowds.

So, Council, VBPD's request, Council, I take that back. My request is for a 9:00 p.m. zone curfew and it shouldn't just be a consideration, Council, it's a necessity and sure that 12 seconds doesn't turn into a lifetime of grief for our community.

I yield.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

And you know, once again, if you if you can stay in case there's questions later, really appreciate it. Okay.

Thank you.

Okay, let's start and call the speakers.

Yes, sir. First speaker is, sorry, I can't say, Victoria Lyons.

And just a reminder, there's a 3-minute limit.

Victoria Lyons.

Matthew Knox.

All right, Mr. Knox.

Yeah.

Okay, come down. And then after Mr.

Knox, it'll be Missouri Hodnett.

Welcome.

Thank you. Matthew Knox from I live at 5404 Keystone Place, Virginia Beach.

Uh Mayor, Councilman, Councilwoman, thank you for your time today and opportunity to express my views on an important issue. During the 1970s, 1980s, Virginia Beach was the fastest growing city in America. Everyone wanted to live here and tonight we meet to debate issuing a total curfew on the same oceanfront that has drawn people for generations. That should be cause for concern and require real

conversations that result in real solutions. The proposed curfew at all ages did not does not address the broader issues that stimulate bad behavior at the oceanfront. Instead, a proposed curfew is unconstitutional band-aid that will offer no long-term remedy. The must the city must prove that there is an emergency so great that a mayor is removing the civil liberties from its residents. We do not have a We

do have a problem with the ocean front, but I challenge that this problem does not meet the criteria to legally legally establish this sort of curfew. I served my country for 21 years, calling Virginia Beach home for all of it. I still honor my oath, and it's a similar oath that all of you took when you were elected to office.

We don't get to cherry-pick the Constitution.

If we are saying no kings, we must also stand against this type of governance, even if it is our own local government.

Please do the right thing tonight. Vote no to this curfew measure. The proper solution will take time, and it will take money. Please allow the community to be involved. Let's slow down, look for the right long-term solutions. Let's make Virginia Beach classy again, but first, you must vote no tonight. Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

The next speaker is Zuri Honnet.

Zuri Honnet.

Jason Miller.

After Mr. Miller is John Zirkle.

Good evening.

Hi, good evening, Mr. Mayor. By Mr.

Mayor, city council members, my name is Jason Miller. I live at 2329 Landale Court, uh District 7.

Um first of all, I want to start by commending uh Chief Newdigate and his Virginia Beach Police Department, our Virginia Beach Police Department, and doing an exceptional job in the last uh 2 years with 27% down crime and down a 5-year low for everything with the historical uh staffing issues that Virginia Beach does have along with other cities.

Um my proposal is not necessarily based on the the curfew, whether you do it or don't do it in the 2 weeks, something's going to have to be done, but what happens after that 2 weeks into the summer and the peak months?

Um police can't do it alone. They can't be everywhere.

[snorts] Just It's just not possible, right? Um we don't want the ocean front to turn into a police state. We don't want Virginia Beach to that, right? So, it's like a tripod. It's the Virginia Beach Police Department, it's the community, it's the city council.

So, what I'm proposing is something like the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Ambassadors and Initiative, which would basically be the eyes and ears to supplement the already excellent work of the Virginia Beach Police Department.

This will provide an extension of the next phase of the Good Vibes campaign that's already there and provide that human element down at the oceanfront. It has been proven when you get the community involved down there, there is a significant decrease in crime to help with stakeholders, but not limited to homeowners in and out of the oceanfront in the Virginia Beach, business owners, parents, faith leaders, guardians,

whoever down there to help the Virginia Beach Police Department not by enforcing laws, not by stopping, frisking, whatever, but by helping managing minor incidents, noise complaints, helping visitors and residents alike in different things going on. That way, the Police Department can focus on the real issues going on down there and handle those serious infractions that are going on.

Why is this What are the benefits? Well, increases the presence, force multiplier. You have 90 police officers down there like we were on April 11th, which by the way, I was down there and just passed the 1400 block of Atlantic Avenue 50 seconds before the shots fired.

Um it's a force multiplier. Now, we have another 50 community members or 60 community members and business owners down there helping with direct communication with Virginia Beach Police Department to report and observe. This is not a vigilante group. This is not a posse down there doing doing their own thing.

Helps with crowd management, trained volunteers, i.e. trained volunteers provided by hopefully the Virginia Beach Crisis Management Intervention Team for de-escalatory verbal conversations with the young adults down there in the teens.

Economic, provides a $4 down there at the oceanfront every year that we we need to keep coming in.

Um proactive police and aligns with the if you see down in my proposal other evidence of other cities are doing it in real-time reporting directly on the ground with police officers where they might not be in a certain section other community members are there.

Jason, thank you and very positive thing worth worthy of discussion. Thank you for taking the time. Thank you for your thoughts.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is John Zirkle.

After Mr. Zirkle will be Neil Aker.

Hey John, how you doing?

Good. Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Council.

I'm John Zirkle. I'm here representing the Virginia Beach Hotel Association as its president. I'm here to voice our opposition to the proposed curfew. First a quick few quick facts. He mentioned one, $3.9 billion economic impact from tourism. 34,000 jobs in our city from tourism.

Provides $1,823 in tax savings to every family in Virginia Beach. It's an important industry.

I do want to thank and we want to thank City Council for taking action. Even if we don't agree with it, you're taking action. You're trying something.

We do feel the city needs to better evaluate the whys and what's of these incidents over the past month and the past years. It's not a new situation.

We'd like to see police be more visible during the day at the resort as early as noon.

This will allow the police to catch bad characters and stop bad behavior before the larger crowds arrive. It sets the tone.

When we let people dance on rooftops of cars, drink alcohol in the back of pickup trucks, smoke marijuana in public, it leads to further issues and sets the tone as the evening progresses.

City parking lots, this is a powerful tool for controlling crowds in the resort area. The city has the authority to immediately alter and review parking policies that could limit these excessive pop-up crowds, particularly on these problematic weekends.

We'd like the city and and we feel we must avoid broad restrictions such as the proposed curfew as it will deter visitors and residents from coming to the resort area.

We understand that there is a need to take some action. The VBHA is willing to support a temporary curfew this weekend, but we hope you'll look at the time periods and make some adjustments to that to better serve our visitors and businesses.

We'd also like you to evaluate this in review before deciding on the following weekend. We have Stars, Stripes, and Spurs coming the following weekend. The city's invested hundreds of thousands of dollars for this event to bring visitors and good crowds to our resort. This was done for this weekend because we've had challenges and we needed to provide something for these people to do.

Uh we can't lose such events and to lose this event due to a curfew would just be a travesty and a waste of taxpayer dollars already spent.

Uh public safety is a priority for the issue for the city and our industry.

We're confident we can move forward providing a safe space for all those who visit our great city without the use of curfews that so badly harm the resort businesses and send a powerful, unintended, and untrue message of safety in our resort. Decisions such as this have many repercussions. We look forward to working with city council, the city staff, resort stakeholders, and helping shape

future policy decisions such as the one under consideration. As always, we appreciate all you do and your thoughtfulness and your consideration of our suggestions. Thank you.

Thanks for coming, John.

Thank you.

Next speaker is Neil Acre.

Neil Acre.

Cat Porterfield.

[snorts] And after Miss Porterfield will be Darwin Rogers.

Welcome.

Welcome.

And good evening and everything Mr.

Miller had to say.

Um temporary curfew applicable to everyone is a really big swing on a Thursday afternoon.

But what is this?

Authorize certain additional actions to assist law enforcement. What does that mean?

If you can't say it out loud in plain English, you shouldn't be voting on it.

Bad policy hides in vague language. Now, tell us about this curfew.

You're restricting the movement of people who haven't done anything wrong because something might happen.

That's a civil liberties issue, full stop.

And it's going to go down like this.

Some folks are heading to cocktails, others are loitering.

Those calls are going to get made in real time by fallible humans under unnecessary pressure.

Pray that everyone holds it together.

You spent millions limiting public access to police communications. That took eyes and ears away from this community. Did it make us safer?

Because now we're here talking about a blanket curfew.

Feels less like we fixed the problem and more like we're stacking restrictions on top of it.

Now, stoke, that's a bigger conversation and I'd love to have it with all of you on another day.

But we are surf and skate community and that's part of who we are. Other places have tried gun buybacks and this is just this is going to sound trite and silly when I say this and it's just a PR thing. It's not a solution.

[gasps] Maybe these gun backs gun buybacks look a little bit different in our community.

Turn in a gun, walk out with a surfboard, or a skateboard. Is that a full solution? No, but it's something.

It builds connection, it builds trust, it builds identity, it builds stoke.

Just an idea, because right now it feels like we're running a little low on those. And I get the pressure to do something.

But doing something broad, vague, and uneven is not leadership. It's a gamble.

And if you can't define additional actions, and you can't guarantee fair enforcement, you shouldn't be passing this. We don't fix Excuse me, we don't fix problems by sending everyone to bed early. Thank you.

Darwin Rogers.

After Mr. Rogers is Dwayne Furlough.

Welcome, Jimmy.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor, Madam Vice Mayor Wilson, members of City Council. Pardon me, I have a a neck. I uh uh Jimmy Rogers, I have been a resident here for 68 years.

With the exception of 2 days. I was born in Norfolk, and I came home to Aragona, and I'll tell you I am in support, and this is the reason I stand here. I have done business uh at the oceanfront, and I'm planning again, and I've been down there personally. I support these initiatives for these curfews.

Yes, sometimes not desirable, but we only have 30 hours till tomorrow night.

There will be more initiatives to come, and to give you all time to figure out and and enforcement.

Uh I the enforcement judicial system, prosecutors, first responders, and the [snorts] community itself.

The hoteliers, the businesses, they have more than my 100%. I wanted to work for them.

In the late '80s, I was a young man and I got subpoenaed down to a customer of mine. We were in beverage alcohol distribution business.

And this gentleman said, "Jimmy, I have a problem." And we had a behavior problem.

And he pulled out this thing a of oil and he poured it in the water. He says, "What happens, it blocks people. People run." That gentleman was the late Mr. Frank Bowman of Rockefeller Center Richards.

And we were over budget. Took a little bit longer, but we fixed it. He was saying is we have to somehow or figuring out how the bad people can't get in here and keep the good people busy and all that.

I'm going to propose something and I'm sure more initiatives there are these two weeks.

I hope this is ethical and I hope it's legal.

But maybe give consideration that the private community, I did some numbers, is we raise a half a million dollars, $500 per entity, per pay person, to [snorts] partner, to work legally, private security, ex-army, whatever, with them to give them more per uh Police chief, I would walked in and I heard enforcement's not doing anything, but more people might help. I don't know. It's It's somebody, you know, it's

something for y'all to look at. Is there I that gentleman that had the community ideas? Yeah. But is there putting people in the crowd that have training to partner in an organized fashion with enforcement?

[snorts] Am I under 3 minutes?

No, you You got a little while a little way to go.

I'm finished.

When the red light comes, You don't want to hear me talk anymore.

Jimmy, thank you.

Thank you, sir. I stand ready to help. I really do.

The next speaker is Dwayne Furlough.

And after Mr. Furlough is Stephanie Vann.

[snorts and clears throat]

Welcome.

How are you doing, Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of council?

My name is Dwayne Furlough. We own Flipper McCoy's on Atlantic Avenue.

If any of you don't know, it's an arcade that's designed around our families as to be a safe environment for people to come in and enjoy themselves.

[clears throat] This weekend, when we had all these shootings, and we've had many up between 22nd and 23rd before, they didn't feel that way.

We employ the police department and the sheriff's department on a part-time basis. We work well with them.

It appears they're not given the tools they need and the resources they need to do the job.

But, the curfew, which you're getting ready to enact, makes your our our our problem here for the next week or two, but what's going to happen after that?

Saturday night, when all this was happening, I pulled my video footage between 22nd and 23rd, and bear in mind we've used this many times the police department has to prosecute cases.

Between 22nd and 23rd, from 8:00 to 11:30, I counted nine officers.

One of those officers was called there because we called for service because there was people parked on Atlantic Avenue.

And there was a line of cars all the way down.

They'd actually gone all the way down Atlantic Avenue and turned and went on 23rd Street, and the music was so loud it was interrupting the dinner for people trying to eat at Doc Taylor's.

I bring this up so that the chief, everybody knows if you've got 90 officers down there and between 22nd and 23rd between 8:00 and 11:30, you only have nine officers.

Obviously, he probably needed 150 officers then.

Cuz we didn't have enough people down there to take care of what was going on.

Saturday morning or Sunday morning I got down there, spent the day from 4:00 to 11:30 by the time I left the beach that evening.

I didn't have an officer come by between 22nd and 23rd.

I had people out there smoking something out of a can in front and I'm trying to explain to kids what this guy is doing and why we're running him and shooing him away.

We have people up there smoking weed.

We're having to run away because it's it's coming into the game room and families are looking at me as we don't allow it, but it's allowed in the streets.

What is going on is a is a regional effect and it can only be cured with your help.

This is no way derogatory meant and point towards the chief of the police.

When I'm telling you this is so that anytime on any given day, if anybody wants to come down, they're more welcome to look and see firsthand what's going on.

We ask you to come down.

sir. Appreciate you coming.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Stephanie Vann.

Stephanie Vann.

After Ms. Vann is Brandon Ramsey.

Welcome.

Thank you so much. I'm no public speaker, so bear with me.

Good afternoon, Mayor Dyer and members of the City Council. My name is Stephanie Vann. I'm a resident of I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Can you hear me now?

Folks, please.

Thank you. Sorry about that.

My name is Stephanie Vann. I am a resident of 27 Atlantic Apartments. It's a high-rise apartment at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. I moved here about 4 years ago from Atlanta to make Virginia Beach home. And I care deeply about the safety and vitality of what is now my name community. And for many reasons, I strongly oppose the proposed 9:00 p.m.

all ages curfew.

I do understand the recent shootings. We watched them from my rooftop. I'm deeply concerned and no one wants this violence in our neighborhood. However, blanket curfew that restricts law-abiding adults like myself from simply walking the boardwalk, which is my backyard, visiting my friends, dining out, simply walking for ice cream across the street, just enjoying the evening air is not the

solution. It punishes the many for actions of a few.

As someone who lives here, this would directly impact my daily life and freedom of movement in this community.

It also risks harming the oceanfront businesses that rely on evening foot traffic. Like I spoke about, the restaurants, shops, and attractions that do make this place so special.

I've personally battled a local slumlord here, the Breeden Company, over safe housing issues in my previous apartment at Aqua 25th Street. This includes repeated flooding leading to black toxic mold that poisoned my mother and I, as well as numerous code and fire fire violations. I have taken legal action to fight for a safe home for myself and my community, and I know firsthand what it

takes to stand up for the residents' rights when our electeds fall short.

The broader constitutional concerns are significant restrictions on public presence, assembly, and expressive activity raise serious First Amendment issues.

Courts have repeatedly held that curfews burdening adults' rights to free speech, assembly, and movement in traditional public forums must be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling interest. Broad and indiscriminate measures like this, they they just invite selective enforcement and serious constitutional challenges.

If the ordinance passes, myself and others are prepared to support and/or participate in legal action challenging it in court.

Attorney Tim Anderson has already warned that such a measure would face immediate litigation is likely to fail on constitutional grounds alone.

We need targeted, effective solutions, stronger laws, and policing in high-risk areas, faster and harsher prosecution of offenders, and community efforts that address the root causes of what's going on. Punishing everyone with an early curfew sets a dangerous precedent, sends the wrong message. I urge you to vote no on this ordinance. Protect public safety without sacrificing our rights and the

character of the oceanfront. Thank you for your time, and thank you in advance for defending our liberties and restricting them.

Thank you for coming.

The next speaker is Brandon Ramsey.

After Mr. Ramsey is Kelly Griffiths.

Good evening. Welcome.

Thank you. Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of the council.

[snorts] My name is Brandon Ramsey. I am the owner of Peabody's at the corner of 21st and Pacific Avenue.

We've been doing business in Virginia Beach in the same location for 59 years.

I've had family in the restaurant business here for over 60 years.

Along with many uh many years at Peabody's, I have taken great pride in volunteering with the VBPD for over 25 years as president of the CACs and the Citizens Advisory Board. I am extremely proud of our police department and carry a deep respect for them.

I'll begin by sharing my city's concern for safety.

No No tourism will flourish with the continual violence that has taken place in our city.

We take none of these safety issues lightly. Peabody's has been heavily will be heavily affected by the curfew in question. It's fair to say up to 90% of our business is done in the curfew hours that you have put forth.

Not only is this devastating to Peabody's as a business, but it's also to our employees. Employees that pay ever-increasing bills which you are all aware of.

I spoke I spoke to an employee today while she was working at her second job. She asked if she was still on the schedule for 9:00 p.m. on Friday. I did not have a direct answer.

When speaking to my employees, I think they share the eager want of cleaning up the crowds and making it safer.

[snorts] We all feel the curfew is not the solution. This is a surrender.

I believe this decision majorly hurts visitor numbers and city revenue. Safety is a main goal. I ask after these two weekends, what will we have accomplished?

Working and being a part of the beach for over 30 years, I feel as though nothing more it's just nothing more than deferred violence.

I would love to be part of any committee that helps with our troubles.

Have we exhausted all possibilities?

What have other beach towns done?

Are there things as a city that we can change to help the police department?

Have we reviewed our best tactics in the past?

How did Miami do the don't come here campaign? Was it effective?

Again, we would love to form solutions, game plans, etc. Let's list all the things that we can do.

I believe that I believe what we ignore, we permit.

The proposed curfew is simply hurting business owners, tourists, and residents, and this does not address the root problems of our ocean front.

Thank you.

Appreciate you coming.

The next speaker is Kelly Griffith.

Kelly Griffith.

And then Ahmed Harmashi.

Welcome.

Good afternoon. My name is Kelly Griffith. I'm the owner and operator of Title Events and Staffing. You likely have seen myself and my team out there at the oceanfront in our black shirts with obnoxious yellow letters of title in the back.

I'm here today to ask that the city take a closer look at the basics of public safety regarding use of private security entities found in Virginia code 6 VA C 20-172.

I opened my business in September of 2019 and I've been in a battle with the city since then um of the proper and legal use of private security businesses.

Most recently I had the um I'm sorry, I'm really nervous. Um I had the contract [clears throat] at Virginia Beach Convention Convention Center and I chose to not renew that contract because of their use of crowd managers instead of licensed public security or I'm sorry, licensed private security um positions such as like the ACO in the back of the building where they're guard shocking and watching the people coming

in.

That is being held by crowd managers which is a division of the Virginia fire code.

Um also with events and such we're relabeling security as peace peacekeepers and crowd managers.

Um it This is also the same reason why I stopped providing coverage at the sports center. So, my proposal is that we look at this across the oceanfront and all of the businesses. When an event holder comes into town, we have strict policies for unarmed security and armed security if there's alcohol involved. So, if we hold everyone to that same standard and push that, you've effectively added

dozens of individuals that are licensed and trained for observe and report. Um so, I would like to ask the city that they take a deeper look at this.

Um and we as security are a proactive entity and can work in conjunction with the reactiveness of um PD.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to being a part of the solution.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Ahmed Harmachi and then Dr. Janet Garcia.

[snorts] Welcome.

Hey, how you doing?

My name is Ahmed Harmachi.

I want to thank you because I see you a lot in the Oceanfront. So, I want to thank the chief.

I'm here for the petition.

I have like 600 people that signed for this.

They don't want this curfew for different reasons.

And um what I'm asking and a lot of business owners asking that we come together and put plan to avoid these problems.

Thank you. I know your time is very valuable and I'm not going to waste your time.

Yeah, please give that to the clerk.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Dr. Janet Garcia.

And then January Wood Windrow.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Uh Mayor, Vice Mayor, all council members, thank you for this opportunity.

Um I hail from Illinois but came here 17 years ago after serving in the service.

Veteran, um my husband and I came transient 18 years ago. Love absolutely love this community.

Um I live in Chesapeake, but I'm the new business owner of Sun Glass Shack on 19th and Atlantic. So, first I want to say thank you for the opportunity.

We didn't just invest to be here and make money. We came to make an impact to this community. Um I'd like to thank and my heart and prayers go out to the family and victims who were affected by the shooting. Uh my husband just stepped out this last weekend and said he met a gentleman visitor and he said this place has really gone downhill.

Everyone blasting music and revving engines.

That moment mattered because perception becomes reality and reality determined whether families come back or stay.

Uh we fully support increased safety measures. We agree with heightened police presence including undercover officers, anything additional security strategies especially during high-risk weekends. Safety is not optional. It is essential.

But we also want to offer perspective for those stepping into the season. Um a broad curfew additionally one applies to all ages risking a message far beyond its intention. It can unintentionally signal that the ocean fronts no longer a place of freedom, family enjoyment, and say vacationing. They'll just pass us by and go somewhere else. In today's world, perception quickly adds into the social

media word of mouth. Stories travels fast. Visitors begin to feel restricted rather than welcomed. We could see a ripple effect that impacts not just weekends, but entire seasons.

Um in today's world, we believe that there is balance. We can be firm on crime without being restrictive on community. We target behavior without penalizing everyone. We can protect protect a space while preserving the experience that draws people in the first place. We came here to be a part of solution, to serve in excellence, to contribute to safety, and welcoming environments for both residents and

visitors. We stand with you addressing the issues. We ask that the approach be strategic, targeted, mindful of the long-term impact on communities and its business.

Uh as we consider solutions, we believe wisdom calls to be precise, not reactive. Rather than broad measures that impact everyone, we can target the additional behaviors creating destructed disruptions by focusing some form and enforcement on these hotspots, rapid response presence, and consistently enforcing existing ordinances. At the same time, visible order is key when authority is clearly seen.

Appreciate you.

So, thank you.

Thank you for taking time.

The next speaker is January Windrow.

And then Deborah Cassier.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

My name is January Windrow of Ocean Horizon Properties.

I come before you to represent over two dozen tenants, mom-and-pop businesses.

Half are in the proposed curfew zone, and half are beach adjacent. All of them will be affected [clears throat] by your decision tonight.

Most of them cannot be here today. I do see one.

Because they're busy preparing for a spring weekend. They're finishing repairs and improvements, prepping for shows and social events that are scheduled for this weekend.

They're unloading deliveries, hiring and training staff.

These tenants of ours are a resilient bunch. Some have been in business for 30, 40, 60 years.

They are locals, women and minority-owned veterans and immigrants.

They know that their business is high risk. They know no seasonality and there's a small window to pay their bills and live year round.

They pivoted during the pandemic and survived.

They work through sub-freezing temperatures and heat waves.

They struggle with a lack of parking.

They deal with inflation, rising gas prices, and they are hyper aware that these factors, which are beyond their control, diminish the disposable income of their customers.

Our tenants hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

But I can guarantee you that a blanket curfew is not in their bingo card this year.

I plead to you on their behalf to stop this knee-jerk reaction.

Mr. Mayor, you told us once this is the city of yes.

This sounds like a resounding hell no.

We need out-of-box ideas to bring a diversity of people here during this transitional period. Explore extending the Park After Dark program to 17th and 24th Street parks.

Consult with the community groups and maybe um coming up with boardwalk activations where people engage in enriching, Insta-worthy, fun activities to do.

Anything than just letting crowds walk up and down Atlantic Avenue with nothing to do and leaving the police department and business owners to do the heavy lifting for you.

Do not punish us for the criminal actions of the few.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

The next speaker is Deborah Cassier.

After Miss Cassier is Norman Gauthier.

Hello. Welcome.

Hello. How are you doing today?

My name is Deborah Cassier and good evening, Mayor Dyer, and members of City Council, and fellow community leaders.

I'm a managing member of Ocean Horizon Properties, a stakeholder of the properties in Ocean in the Oceanfront. I appreciate the opportunity to speak. I'm here to respectfully oppose the 9:00 to 5:00 a.m. curfew for the selected areas of the Oceanfront.

I support efforts to keep our city safe and welcoming.

We have worked with the police to give them access to our cameras for all our properties, and I have personally held volunteer positions for more than the past 15, I've lost count, years to help with pedestrian, transportation, and and parking for the Oceanfront.

First of all, I'd like to say my opposition to this curfew is not about ignoring problems. It's about seeking fair, effective, and enforceable solutions that protect both public safety and the rights and livelihood of responsible residents, visitors, and local businesses.

First, a curfew is a blunt instrument that will unfairly impact law-abiding people. A blanket curfew risks criminalizing ordinary activity and placing unnecessary burdens on people who've done nothing wrong.

Second, enforcement will be difficult and expensive and will strain limited police resources that they're telling us we already have.

With a 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. boundary, effectively would require substantial sustained manpower.

Resources that might be better invested in targeted public safety measures that address specific problems that [clears throat] rather than [snorts] restricting access for everyone.

Third, the curfew will hurt local businesses and workers in an area that depends heavily on night time commerce.

Restaurants, entertainment venues, and their patrons contribute to our local economy with the collection of the third highest meal tax in the nation.

A curfew would reduce business revenues, threaten jobs, and undermine the vitality of those storefront going forward.

Since the city council is concerned about public safety, I urge you to make a clear plan for measuring effectiveness before implementing a broad curfew.

I experienced these decisions made after the riot in 1989.

The goal was to close the ocean front for only hotel guests. The results were the ocean front felt like an armed camp and was a public relations nightmare.

The addition of rock and roll marathon on Labor Day was to add diversity to the beach.

So, I respectfully Appreciate your comments.

appreciate your consideration. Do not vote for this curfew.

Appreciate speaker is Norman Gauthier.

And then J.D. Johnson.

Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council.

I would like to thank you for everything you've done and taking the time to listen to all of us here today.

We're not addressing what is enabling the incidences here. We're Restricting for two three weekends is not going to solve any of these problems.

We need to work with the state agencies we have. Work with ABC. We The verbage that you have in the proposal here states that this is an emergency riot.

In that case, uh 4.1 TAC 225.1.

The summary suspension in emergency circumstances of alcohol sales.

If you believe that this is actually a public safety issue, stop selling alcohol in that geographic region.

I understand that's going to harm the businesses, but if you believe that that is that big of a public safety issue, deny the thing they might be coming and exacerbating the issues.

On top of that, request the state to create a statute like Chesapeake or Portsmouth, 15.2 TAC 1130, liability in failure to provide adequate security and crowd control. This would enable the city to go after businesses and venues for not having and supporting public safety.

Please do not make the comfort-based decision of a couple weekends of denying.

Address the venues that attract, enable, and contribute to these issues. Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

Next speaker is J.D. Johnson. After Mr.

Johnson is Rhoda Young.

Here you go.

Hey, welcome.

I'm J.D.

I own Nightmare Mansion and Lost Planet.

My father started the haunted house 37 years ago. We are one of the last remaining institutions proudly at the oceanfront. Our business ramps up after dark, needless to say, typically running to at least 1:00 a.m.

And you're about to decimate my next two weekends.

I've spent all of my summers working at the oceanfront. I'm in the hot zone. I'm in the trenches with my staff every night. I've watched shootings occur personally.

We see them firsthand and our cameras see everything as well.

This is This violence is not historical.

Shootings are not a new problem. 3 minutes is not nearly enough time for me to share my deep understanding of the strip and some solutions to this problem. Maybe we can all hang out and chat some other time when we have more time.

[clears throat] We have a fantastic relationship with the Virginia Beach Police Department and will continue to even after this meeting.

But all y'all need to get these poor folks some higher death cameras and some more of them cuz they sure do like mine.

Clearer and in far more numbers than the cameras that we saw today.

From experience, visible cameras are huge deterrent in negative behavior at my spaces.

The city and its partners have invested $300 million in the Wave Park right behind my spaces.

That's a lot of money.

Yet we don't have the funds and laws to accommodate safety.

I'm in front of you now and surrounded by all of my new friends simply to make one point out of many.

We are told heavy police presence does not deter these problems. Yet in the same breath we are told there's a disparity in manpower and resources provided to the police department to handle the level of crowds and make a safe space. So my question is if there's such a lack of resources and manpower to police the strip properly, then how do you have the manpower and infrastructure to shut down 31 blocks on the largest

pleasure beach in the world within the next 2 days?

You're going to maintain and filter to and from hotel traffic through the entire evening, push foot traffic off the sidewalks, remove vehicle traffic, and again, maintain that throughout the entire evening, but you don't have the resources to properly police the strip and keep it open. That math does not math. That makes zero sense and I find that unfathomable.

And if you do have those resources and you do make this happen, then obviously you have the resources to keep the strip open and police it properly.

The chief showed you some pretty scary videos today.

I know scary. I do haunted house.

Fear is a powerful tool.

Shutting down the strip is not the correct tool.

Behind the scenes and back channels, it's been confessed to me this decision has actually already been made.

And that curfew will go through.

Which I unfortunately believe.

But I hope you prove me wrong.

Good luck to us all.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Rhoda Young.

Rhoda Young, and then after Ms. Young is Kevin Bryant.

Welcome.

Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon to each and every last one of you.

Mom, my mama there? Dad, is one of y'all my dad? Then how you going to tell grown folks what time they can go to the ocean front? Do that make sense? You going to tell somebody my age going on 60 years old what time I can go to the ocean front? I haven't broken any crime since Virginia Beach.

I'm a resident of Virginia Beach and hardly ever even go to the ocean front.

But I'll be damned if y'all have the right My apologies to tell me if I wake up tomorrow night or this weekend if I want to go to the ocean front, I can't go to the ocean front because the people we voted into office feel like they don't want us to go to the ocean front. Y'all don't have the authority nor the rights.

And when you was running for office, if y'all would have told us that y'all were going to treat us like Donald Trump is doing right now, doing what you want, we wouldn't have voted for you.

I'mma say what need to be said, loud enough to need to be said. You're wrong.

The people that you need to be targeting and addressing, if you look around, they're not here.

So, having a city council meeting and talking about the violence in Virginia Beach is not doing the city of Virginia Beach any good if the people who's doing the crime is not here.

With that being said, I am the voice for the voiceless in our community.

The people that's committing the crimes in your community, they come through me.

They watch me on social media.

WAVY News 10, Channel 3, and Channel 13 News is not going to implement what y'all are not going to allow in Virginia Beach. You must use your resources. I'm one of them.

Everything the chief of police said it should come through me. He should sit down on my platform and tell the people what Virginia Beach is not going to have.

And what's going to be the repercussions if you come to the beautiful city of Virginia Beach and knock out.

Now, if you really want to change, come to the people cuz the people that's doing the crimes in your community ain't coming to you.

So, you got to go to the people.

Virginia Beach state police is one of y'all main issues why y'all having problems in y'all beautiful city.

If they can't make it down the interstate, they can't get to your city.

When I was growing up, the first thing we did, don't get on the um interstate and go to Ocean Front cuz we were afraid of the state troopers. If if you go on the interstate right now, you don't see state troopers. People was afraid to drive to the Ocean Front, nevertheless, leave after drinking.

Put the fear back in the city.

Out of all seven cities, Virginia Beach always been the one that made us afraid to do anything in Virginia Beach.

Give the police back the power. Get on the state police. Figure out why is these people entering our city and why not they they're not getting pulled over after they leave our city. How they're making it down here?

And how they're making a home? If we stop them before they enter, then we're not going to have no problems.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome. Have a blessed day.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Kevin Bryant.

After Mr. Bryant is Stacy Braithwaite.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of Council. It's going to be a tough act to follow, but do my best. My name is Kevin Bryant. I represent Atlantic Fun Park, Virginia Beach's amusement park down on 15th Street.

I've managed Motor World, the go-kart place, for 26 years. We took over Atlantic Fun Park in 2011 from the previous owner. I believe the park's been there since 2000. Um been down there for 15 years. In those 15 years, we've hired Virginia Beach police officers, Virginia Beach Sheriff Department. We have private security now. Two years ago, we put in a metal detector up front.

Thought it would kind of deter business.

Has actually been a big help. Families are thanking us for having a safe place to come.

We understand the importance of taking the essential, you know, to to stop things from happening and be safe.

That's why we put these things in measure.

[gasps] We empathize with the city to have to make a decision like this.

The police department has done a great job since the first curfew this last time.

We watched the streets. I mean, it was a little wild on Saturday night, but it calmed down. They forced the the crowds off Atlantic.

Everything was back to normal right before the incident happened. The police really did a great job.

However, I I don't think shutting down the business is going to be the answer.

The other fellow mentioned, I mean, we do 90% of our money after 9:00 at night.

And we're not just talking about two weekends here.

What's the ongoing effect? What happens later? The summer is is coming up fast.

We're going to lose a lot of revenue this weekend. We have employees that are going to lose hours. These seasonal employees have finally been waiting to get the chance to start working and we're going to send them home early.

How long do we do this for? Is it going to fix the problem? I I shutting down the businesses will not cure anything. We need to I We've mentioned in in the police departments I talking to Panama City, Daytona Beach. We talked about Miami, Myrtle Beach, Fort Lauderdale. They've all had similar problems. What did they do?

I looked everywhere. I could not see that they shut down the oceanfront, shut down their businesses.

So, I encourage you, please think about the businesses, think about all the employees that we employ here in Virginia Beach that come here. All the applicants that are going to be applying soon to work summer jobs and now they're going to say, "Well, I can't work late down there. I work another job during the day. I need a night job." We're really affecting those people.

So, I encourage you, council today, please keep the businesses open. There's other ways to fix this problem. The police are doing a great job.

I believe we can get through these spring break weeks like we do every year and have a great summer. But right now, we need to focus on what's important to us. Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your time.

The next speaker is Stacy Braithwaite.

And then Jamal Gunn.

[clears throat] [sighs] Welcome.

Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members.

My name's Stacy Braithwaite. I am a fourth-generation local native, which I know is weird. No one's ever native from here, but I'm fourth generation. My father, grandfather helped develop this area, and I have a very strong place in my heart.

This problem is not new.

Not even close. This happened back in the '90s. I left Virginia Beach in 1999 to get out of here because of violence and the disgusting behavior. Came back in 2010, still happening.

It's unacceptable.

This is not a political issue. This is not a race issue. This is a safety issue. And what is happening is beyond unacceptable.

I think, respectfully, that the current response is not enough. Limited curfew on a few streets does not solve the problem at all.

It shifts it. It delays it. It does not fix it.

At the same time, the city has no problem restricting access to the oceanfront when it generates revenue.

You guys have concerts, beach concerts.

You have marathons, you have holidays, you have events. I live in Chateaux Lon.

Sometimes I get my pulled over to get my license to make sure I live there so I can get home.

So, there's a way to protect our oceanfront.

We live in a beautiful area, and I couldn't be more proud of being from here.

I have two children that work at the oceanfront. One works at Ocean Eddie's, and one works at Tall Tales. They have both had to stay in the buildings because of shootings. We're not allowed to come out.

That is scary. That is a thought I have every night my kids go to work. Hey Mom, I I got to stay here a little bit later because there's 12 people outside getting shot at. It's unacceptable.

Ridiculously unacceptable.

So, while criminals are out wandering the streets, law-abiding citizens and our kids are the ones that are being stopped and questioned. This is backwards. So backwards. I hear this on a regular basis, literally from my house. I live in Shadowlawn. I hear the policeman working overtime. Sirens, you can tell the difference between an ambulance, a fire truck, and a cop car.

I hear it every day. This isn't just two weekends. It is every single week, every weekend of the entire summer.

We are too lenient on crime.

And until that changes, this is going to continue. I like what he said back there. People need to be scared. They need to be scared to come down here and act like hooligans. Make the crime fit what they're doing.

Make them pay for it. Someone needs to be made an example of. And our poor police department, totally understaffed.

It's not their fault. They're doing the best they can. I support them 110%.

But if this is not addressed properly, then this is going to just continue. And not just over the next few weekends, until something is drastically done.

much, Stacy. I really appreciate your Thank you.

The next speaker is Jamel Don.

After Mr. Don is Liz Rossi.

Welcome, Jamel.

[clears throat] Good afternoon. My name is Jamel Don, chair of the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission.

Yesterday, our commission met to discuss the proposed ordinance to extend the curfew at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. We had an extremely robust and open discussion about the proposed ordinance and outbreak of gun violence in our city.

There were some of us on the commission that was in favor of any efforts of our city to address the issue and and in support of the ordinance. And there were also commissioners who felt we needed to apply more thought to what we propose and and what we propose to do and have doubts that an extended curfew would have the immediate impact we would like for it to have.

I was one of those commissioners.

For the entirety of my adult life, I have often been reminded that our city is routinely voted for as being one of the safest cities in the nation. It is a point of pride for law enforcement, political leadership, and citizens in every community. So, I depend on this notion. I rely on it. And it's with this knowledge that I can surely say that what is happening earlier last month, earlier this month, is not the norm.

It's not who we are. And because I know it's not who we are, then I'm often reminded of this, I am very confident that such incidences are likely not to happen in the time confines outlined by the ordinance. I am as confident of that as I am of the impact of the restrictions the ordinance will have on families and businesses at the oceanfront.

Unfortunately, at this point, I do not want to simply rely on what I've been told. After all, we are only able to be a safe city because of the public safety and law enforcement partners that work hard to keep it that way. And in spite of their efforts, despite being extremely accessible and frankly responsible with their mandate to protect and serve, the outbreak of gun violence has gotten to the point where

they need another another option, something to supplement their ability.

And this is their ask. As a human rights commissioner, I fully understand the optics of what this ordinance shows.

However, my ask of this council, as well as other citizens, is to be fully aware of the limitation of the ordinance.

Families are still able to enjoy all the city can offer. Businesses can still thrive and operate. In closing, I would like I would be remiss not to mention a tragedy in the state earlier this morning. Lieutenant Governor Fairfax was a friend and has been there for many families in our city. But what he did is inexcusable. What he did was to crystallize precisely why we need to take gun violence seriously, not just in

the city, but across our commonwealth.

And with my ability as a human rights commissioner, I cannot sit by and take no action when every fiber of my being tells me we have a duty to respond.

What we are seeing isn't just a over proliferation and accessibility of firearms, but we are also seeing a purposeful resistance to law enforcement that again has a mandate to to make sure we continue to be among the safest cities. Right now, those impacted by violence at Oceanfront are being harmed by perpetrators, but at a certain point law enforcement could respond and protect the city with deadly force,

which is something we all do not want.

This ordinance is more about protecting perpetrators, victims, and bystanders as much as it is about making sure law enforcement is not put in an unfortunate position that can potentially cause more harm than it not being able to go to a certain part of Oceanfront for a few hours for just a few days. It It might be an overreach, but if it's an overreach that we have to do to protect human life, that is my imperative.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Liz Rossi.

Liz Rossi.

Um Easter Grizzle.

And then Tim Ritter.

Hello, Mr. Mayor and city Welcome.

How are you?

Doing good. Thank you.

Good. I'm here with the lady who ever if she left um great speech. I'm here because we don't have the laws that we need.

And we don't necessarily back our police officers. What we do is repeat fines and ticketing. That needs to stop. No process needs to stop. We're not doing what we need to do to stop the violence at the Oceanfront or anywhere else.

I'm here for everybody that's in this room.

Doesn't matter who we are, what race we are, how we feel, or how we don't feel.

Laws are for a reason. Rules are for a reason.

We don't have any rules at the Oceanfront.

We're not family anymore.

We're just a bunch of people trying to do whatever we want to do.

That needs to stop.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

The next speaker is Tim Ritter.

After Mr. Ritter is Melissa Lucasen.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you. And Tim Ritter from non-profit Family Fun Xperience Theater at the Oceanfront.

Uh standing at our window on Saturday night, families had just left a show and I heard pop pop pop pop. Watched people running away and watched our brave officers run quickly toward it. On foot, followed by bikes, horseback, everything they could muster. And we regularly stand as partners in support of our police in our city, and we still do.

We didn't hear about it later, we didn't read it online, we were there.

Weeks earlier running an event at our theater on 16th Street and another up the street for Rescue Squad celebratory dinner. We watched the earlier incident unfold while the theater was still packed with people. It concerns us deeply.

Bobby says, "The strength of the city is the strength of its people."

[snorts] Right now, those people are all saying loudly they want their beach back.

[snorts] The people who live here, people who used to live here, people deciding whether to come here, they want their beach back.

[snorts] Let's be clear, this isn't a few bad spring weekends, it's not just Atlantic Avenue. And yes, good steps have been taken, we appreciate that, we really do.

[snorts] What are people actually experiencing?

Walking through a cloud of smoke that rivals Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Watching illegal behaviors go unchecked.

Navigating chaos in spaces meant for families.

Watching police try to do their best in the midst of all this.

Underneath that it all is a feeling that something could break at any moment.

When that feeling sets in, families leave.

Locals and visitors don't come. The story of VB starts to change. This isn't one big problem, it's thousands of small ones. And small things don't stay small.

They signal this is a loud push further, and that message is winning with those who intend to do harm, who openly post that they can get away with it. It's not just about shooting, it's the whole picture.

Unleash our officers to enforce broadly.

Without small consequences, they learn there are no real limits and that has to stop.

Now, about the curfew. Whether you implement it or not, it's not enough. This isn't solved by a policy, it's solved by a posture. A clear, consistent message that says, "Come back to the beach, but know we mean business. Have fun, but no nonsense. Not here, not anymore." Every time, every small offense, every day. That's the solution people are actually asking for. And when good

people feel safe, they show up and they crowd out the bad actors. They reset the tone, but they will not come back if they don't truly believe that you have their back.

To families, [snorts] we want to have send that message that's louder than the chaos. That's what we're asking you. Send that message, come back. To 34,000 locals employed at the beach, we've got you. And to those who are testing the limits, send the message you were wrong.

Because [snorts] everyone is saying it, give us the beach back. And we are ready to stand with you to take it back. We have your back. The question is, do you have ours? Not just the businesses along Atlantic, the citizens of Virginia Beach.

Great comments. Thank you very much.

Next speaker is Melissa Lukason. After Miss Lukason is Leah Murray.

Welcome.

Hi.

Good evening.

After two shootings in 5 weeks, this council's solution is a 9:00 p.m. curfew for the oceanfront, the economic engine of our city.

This is not a solution, this is a reaction. And it's a reaction to a problem that happens every single year.

A problem this council has had plenty of time to plan for and didn't. Now we're here days before busy tourism weekends telling visitors, "Welcome to Virginia Beach, just be inside by 9:00."

Hotels are being forced into an impossible position. Do they warn guests and risk cancellations or surprise them at check-in and risk never seeing them again?

The city depends on repeat tourism and tonight we're gambling with that. But here's what I really want to talk about because this is a bigger issue than curfew.

Every budget season we hear the same thing. We don't have enough money.

And right now that might be true, but the real question is why don't we?

Six months ago I attended the five-year planning session with school board and city council.

[snorts] Somewhere around there, six months ago.

I learned something that should concern every taxpayer in this city. Commercial real estate, a big revenue driver we have, is largely operating on an honor system.

That means the burden of accurate reporting falls on the very corporations that benefit from minimizing it and the only way to ensure fair fairness is to fully staff and fund the assessor's office to actually audit those properties, but we don't and let's not pretend we don't know why because the same developers and real estate conglomerates, the ones that make millions off this city, are also some of

the biggest political donors in it.

So instead of asking them to pay what they owe, we underfund enforcement and programming in the area that feeds our local economy. No money for proactive safety planning, no money for sustained programming at the oceanfront, no money for real prevention. Instead we get curfews, we get reactive policies, we get short-term fixes that shift the burden onto tourists, workers and residents while the people profiting the

most continue skating by unchecked and donating to elected officials.

If we actually collected what was owed, we could invest in real solutions.

Year-round planning, targeted public safety strategies, community-based prevention. I love the idea and I've spoken to a few members of council about the Oceanfront Ambassador program. Um and maybe just maybe we wouldn't be standing here tonight trying to manage a predictable problem with a last-minute curfew. Many of you have already made your mind up tonight and the public is

watching and they're starting to ask the right question. Not just how you're spending money, but why you're not collecting it.

Election season will be upon us very soon and this is a conversation that is not going away because I am laser-focused on this particular issue.

And also I'd just like to say as a legal gun owner of multiple firearms who actively supports common-sense gun laws, very much.

not missed on me that half of you don't.

The next speaker is Leah Marie and then Rick Boyles.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

My name's Leah Marie Nowaczyk. I'm an associate broker, property manager, business owner, and a Virginia Beach resident since 1985.

My work puts me in direct contact with both residents and investors. So I see firsthand how important the Oceanfront is to our economy.

There is no question that the recent violence at the Oceanfront is serious and needs to be addressed and I appreciate the city's efforts, especially the increased police presence, lighting, and rapid response response that we saw last weekend.

That said, what we're seeing suggests that this may be less about resources and more about how the environment itself is being managed. A blanket curfew, even short-term, is a broad solution to a very specific problem. It may help in the immediate sense, but it does not address the underlying issue and it risks impacting the businesses and visitors who are not contributing to it.

Other high-traffic tourist areas have faced this same challenge.

We're talking about New Orleans. We're talking about Nashville. We're talking about all the beach cities, even Dublin.

So, I looked what are they doing? And I put together a plan that I gave to the city clerk to distribute to you that I think might be helpful.

This is a layered targeted approach.

Some of the things we're already doing, strategic street closures to better control crowd flow, highly visible foot-based police presence, immediate enforcement of disorderly conduct, coordination with businesses to ensure consistent security.

These strategies don't shut down activity, they structure it.

Right now, we're reacting to behavior.

The opportunity is to design an environment where that behavior is far less to happen in the first place. And if we don't control the environment, the environment will continue to control us, because what we permit, we promote.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you for coming.

The next speaker is Rick Boyles, and after Mr. Boyles is Jason Bonner.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, folks. Good afternoon, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of City Council. My name is Rick Boyles.

I'm a lifelong city resident, small business owner, president of the Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations, president of the Thalia Civic League, and a former bartender at the Oceanfront.

Um I took a look at the city's data portal over the last couple of days, and uh I reluctantly support Chief Neudigate's um request for uh the curfew.

The the data supports uh over the last 24 months, the data supports uh this ask for this short curfew uh to be in place. About 62% of the incidents occur between 9:00 and 5:00 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Um the state code while not all those incidents are violent in nature, the state code doesn't require them to be violent in nature.

So he has met the kid the the criteria for asking for and being granted this curfew. So I'm going to be in support of this ordinance.

Um [sighs] [gasps] Obviously everyone has spoken about potential solutions. I'm sure that you all working on a solution. I'm sure that city manager has got some ideas in place. If you decide that you're going to form a task force, I'm happy to serve on that task force. Thank you.

Thank you, Rick.

Next speaker is Jason Bonner.

And then Leslie Washington.

[snorts] [clears throat] Welcome.

Good evening Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council.

This is not a new problem in Virginia Beach. This has been a as long as I've been going to the ocean front in the early 80s. It's been the same problem for years and years. The amount of guns at the ocean front have not changed.

It's who it is that's actually pulling it out pulling them out and using them.

This is more about I think in the past where you had community leaders, city leaders, the police all working together and whenever you saw the bad things happen, they would come together and they would have a good push forward to try to get things done to calm things down and get more activity amongst the people. Talking about large groups of younger individuals that are only looking for something bad to happen.

They're coming from other places and we're looking at putting baby basically 1% of the population that goes to the ocean front causing the 99% to have an issue which also affects money for both the city, the employees, the establishments and the rest of them that really has nothing to do with the 99% of the people that are going down there.

We've had such issues that no one wants to talk about that are very major. If we remember Greek Fest, what happened after Greek Fest?

We had serious discussions, serious opportunities that were brought forward by many, many people and organizations to make things better and they became better.

But everything ebbs and flows, you have new generations coming forward, you have younger people that come in with different mentalities. We're working all of us are working up against the wall with social media and the different ways that these things occur because it's cool. Okay, getting shot's not cool. Okay, first shot first person I've ever seen shot in my life was in front

of Jungle Golf at the Oceanfront, 1985.

Point-blank middle day, okay? So, this isn't new, okay? What are we going to do to make it different? Because if you put this curfew in place at the Oceanfront, where are they going to go when they come down here and go, "Hey, we have a curfew at the Oceanfront." Where are they going to go after that? Town Center? So, then we have Town Center that's going to deal with the same issue.

We have to deal with the issue as it is and not put a band-aid on it and actually do the surgery, make it happen, get everyone involved again as they were in the past, and put a plan forward that's best for everyone in the community.

Thank you.

Well stated, thank you.

Next speaker is Leslie Washington.

Leslie Washington.

And then Debbie LuHaeg.

Welcome.

Good evening.

I'm Leslie Washington. I live on Broadlawn Road in Virginia Beach and I also have a property at the Oceanfront as well. I do not feel that the curfew is fair and will not fix the problem.

It will be putting a band-aid over the root cause of these pop-up events that the police are talking about.

If the VBPD is monitoring the social events, don't they know when these events are happening?

This isn't about cussing or cruising on the strip.

[snorts] We need more preventative measures to address the violence that is happening in our fair city.

We all know that the police uh force is short-staffed.

That is a concern for all of us in the city. Why are they not able to hire enough officers?

I'm also concerned that the police department working in conjunction with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement instead of focusing 100% on the safety of our city.

Previously, we had groups of clergy that will walk the streets to engage with the crowds.

That seemed to really help our city.

Um can we revisit that idea?

There is nothing for the people to do uh when they come to the city. Boredom is the enemy of young adults, as we all know.

That is why the city previously worked with Pharrell to come up with activities, but that has since passed.

Guns are still a problem.

The weapons that were confiscated last year, are all of those offenders in jail or are they still on our streets?

Enforcement of laws, along with proper sentencing for the offenders, are needed to solve the problem.

Come on vacation, leave on probation.

That used to be our unflattering city nickname.

I kind of like to see it happen again.

We need to do better for all the residents of our city than enacting a curfew at the 11th hour.

Again, you have an you had a year to know that this was going to happen again this year.

So, acting at the last minute, we need to be much more proactive than reactive.

Thank you very much.

coming.

The next speaker is Debbie Lou Haag and then Ed Denton.

Welcome.

Hi.

Uh Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council, thank you for listening to us tonight. I'm Debbie Lou Haag and as the president of the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association, I represent owners, employees, and customers throughout the city and have heard from many of those people today and yesterday from Atlantic to Pacific.

They are worried. They're worried about their safety, not just these two weekends, but for the rest of the year.

They are worried about paying their bills and they are worried that the curfew sets up a precedent for the season for 2026 tourism.

I agree with a lot with with Mr. Zirkle said, so I'm not going to reiterate that right now, but I do have some points and I question the time.

Since the shootings in March were around 7:00, um I'm concerned.

I drove down Atlantic Avenue on Saturday night. I drove at 4:15.

I drove down at 6:00 and I saw the bad actors.

And those bad actors were not just in one little area. I saw them on 36th Street in one of the restaurants I had to go visit.

So they were dispersed around.

And I also ask that um we do not have a curfew for the Stars and Stripes and Spurs festival.

Our city has worked very hard in actually getting something for our citizens and for our tourists.

They've played whack-a-mole on figuring out what weekends to put these festivals on and unfortunately that didn't work out for this year.

I fully support our police as do our restaurants. They provide food for them at musters, water, restrooms, and many other things that they do. In fact, some even give them social media invitations of that we all see sometimes to make sure that the police are aware.

So, I represent those people.

And we do not support We do not support this at all.

These curfews.

Please keep Virginia Beach open for business and family fun.

And don't let the bad actors win.

Thank you for coming.

The next speaker is Ed Denton.

After Mr. Denton is Bernita Richardson.

I'm going to yield my time. I think everyone's covered Okay, thank you, sir.

Bernita Richardson.

And then Jack Majette.

[sighs] Good evening.

Good evening. How you doing?

I'm doing great.

Thanks for coming.

Good to see you all. I want to begin by acknowledging that we're in a moment that requires thoughtful and immediate action.

I understand that the curfew currently being offered is intended as an emergency response to concerns of public safety.

No one here disputes the importance of protecting our residents, our young people, as well as the visitors who come to Virginia Beach.

But what we're seeing right now is not a strategy, but a reaction.

We must be honest about what this approach represents and what it does not.

A curfew doesn't solve the problem, but it shifts it, suppresses it, temporarily, and in many ways creates new concerns about fairness, enforcement, public trust, and public safety.

Protection cannot mean building a wall around Virginia Beach. It cannot mean telling residents or visitors alike that the only way you can be safe is by staying inside your doors and shutting the city down. That's not safety, that's control.

And the truth is other cities are facing similar challenges and have found more effective approaches to address these challenges such as uh Myrtle Beach and Ocean City using street traffic diversion as well as community partnerships engaging young people before situations arise or begin to escalate and create a visitum and proactive safety measures that don't rely on sweeping restrictions that impact everyone.

So, the question is what happens next?

Why do we default into a curfew instead of demonstrating innovation, leadership, and confidence in our ability to manage public safety in a manner or smarter way?

Because right now this approach sends the message that we're unprepared and that we're reactive. And that we're willing to inconvenience and even restrict the broader public rather than doing the harder work to implicate real solutions. We shouldn't accept that.

So, I'm asking what is the plan beyond this curfew?

What investments are being made right now to ensure that we're not standing here again having the same conversation?

What strategies are being put in place that actually address behavior and accountability and prevention? Because if the answer is simply more of this, then we're not moving forward, we're standing still. Virginia Beach can be safe without being shut down, but that requires some leadership, willingness to move together, and be more um less reactive and more proactive. Commit to real modern and effective public

safety strategies because right now we're falling short.

you coming.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Jack Majette.

And then the last speaker will be Zuri Honnet.

Welcome.

How y'all doing?

I realize I'm probably the youngest person here by far.

Uh I live at 27th Atlantic, so hi neighbor.

She's still in here.

This is not only a restrictive of freedom of movement. As someone said earlier, it's also just the wrong thing.

Someone also said that they will just move to Town Center. They will go to Norfolk. They will go to Portsmouth.

It's not systemic to Virginia Beach.

This is an issue that uh a lot of cities experience and they will continue to experience.

My thing with it is there needs to be more community events put on by the city, whether that be surf events or skating events or car shows that you host. I I My view looks over the uh Atlantic and I see all the nice cars go by. I see all the styles that people are wearing with their clothes. They're very expressive in their own selves.

And y'all have to look at it as crime doesn't care.

Crime will still happen regardless of the curfew, and we you there you can't really do a lot to stop it. There's no time where, you know, you can say, "Oh yeah, you guys can't do crime now for 2 weeks." But guess what? In 2 weeks then it comes back and it'll happen again.

Crime will happen regardless of the timing or the place. I come from California, and there's a lot of, you know, there's a lot of crime out there and there's a lot of crime out here.

But, you all have to think that, you know, restricting my movements as a 23-year-old is is absurd. And it's absurd to all these people who are older than me and it is it's just absurd. If I can't go down to like, you know, CP Shucks or Peabody's and, you know, have a beer and some tacos and then go sit on the oceanfront and watch the sunset or the sunrise not the sunrise, but you get

what I'm putting down. That's not that's not fair. You know, you have to have more community outreach and community people to go down. Like, there's the the officer the chief showed a very good video. There were 12 officers or 11 or 10, I can't quite remember, but there were easily a thousand people there. That is an that is an unlawful assembly. You could have pushed them out or at least done something like that.

There's there's no reason that that event should have happened the way it did. There were too many people and not enough cops. And if you guys are underfunded, that's a fault that you need to look on at yourself.

Raise the wages, have better training for your police departments, have more community outreach because this curfew is just not going to work.

As as a young person myself, I look at it and I just roll my eyes, truly.

And that it's just absurd. I yield my time. Thank you.

you for coming.

The last speaker is Jerry Hunnel.

Welcome.

Hello. Um I thought I would be the youngest one here today, but I'm 25, so um um I kind of want to bring that up as a point actually to this. The fact that we're probably the two youngest in here today, I think really speaks to the opportunities that you all allow your communities to speak to you all.

Um obviously the issue that we're here to talk about today is because of the young people who keep coming down to the oceanfront causing issues.

Um we don't even have like a lot of people I can't speak for the people who are obviously causing trouble down there, but a lot of working people like myself we can't make these early meetings. I literally drove all the way from Norfolk to come out here today.

Um but that is one of the main issues that you all fail to realize is that you don't make anything accessible.

Um there are some limitations to that obviously you guys do, but there's there's no opportunity for you all to hear from the people that you really need to hear from. A lot of these people in here today are business owners.

This this this issue is not the only thing this issue is not the only thing that's affecting excuse me business owners.

People like myself, I don't own a business I'm a regular old person. I think like they think I'm spectacular, but I I like to go up and down the strip every now and then, but I don't get to talk to you all like the business owners here do and then obviously they made it very clear that it's going to affect them, but you don't understand how it affects us. The biggest the bigger issue

is that Virginia Beach does not have enough opportunities or activities for younger people.

You have a lack of opportunities and activities for people, you leave room for violence. And the curfew is slapping a band-aid over the bigger issue here.

And what you're doing is when you put set that curfew, you're just pushing the crime outside outside of the oceanfront.

It's not it's not the police, it's the lack of opportunities and activities.

There's nothing to do down the oceanfront. A lot of the oceanfront is catered to specific groups.

If you give these children something to do you reallocate some funds, some resources to like give them things to do, you might see a decline in that.

Um so that is all I wanted to make sure you guys understand coming from a young person, um, working class, if you will.

Um, please give us more things to do down here. Thank you.

Thank you, helping prove. Good job.

Mayor that Mayor that is all the speakers.

Okay, at this point we'll get a motion in a second and we'll get into discussion. Uh, would make the motion, please.

Thank you, Mayor Doc. I have a couple questions first for Chief Deputy Gate.

That would be fine.

City Attorney Styles first and then I'll make the motion. So, thank you for congratulations first Chief Deputy Gate for the arrest today. So, that's three out of three for last Saturday night.

Um, so technology which you're known for and your department's known for and spoken to tonight.

Um, lights, the use of lights. Uh, folks say we need more lights. I know there lights down there. Technology, cameras.

Um, we heard tonight that they may not we may need more cameras. Um, can you speak to tech the use of technology?

Absolutely. We could always use additional lighting down there. Uh, we have noticed the deficiency. Uh, we've spent money out of the department budget to buy portable light towers that we try to light up all the dark areas uh, and make it a more accommodating location.

Uh, and when there's dark areas bad things are going to happen. We can always use more light towers. I think it's not just the light towers, it's overall lighting down there. It would be great we'd be supportive of looking at what that looks like. Um, the gentleman was absolutely correct. We could use better cameras.

Uh, the detectives will tell you right now that our city owned cameras are lacking. So, as we replace them, we do need to look at advanced technology.

Uh, the one good thing uh, I think we all know that our drones as a first responder program is coming. Uh, we hope that it will will up shortly. That will give us another view that we don't have currently that we can get there, monitor those situations when we do have things occur. If the drone's up, it's going to capture that video for us so that we can respond immediately. We have a better

situational awareness of what occurred, feed that information to our detectives.

Just one quick follow-up on that. Put you on the spot. We How much money has city council provided for increased technology over the past 2 3 4 years? I It's in the millions.

Uh in the millions. Um 3 to 4.

3 4 At least, if not more.

Thank you. So, if you could speak to the suggestion about the gun back buyback program I think I brought that up to you one time.

What's your comment or response on the gun buyback program?

Uh I participated in several gun buybacks, council member.

I don't think they truly have any effect. Um we would be willing to support an effort, anything that would get one gun off the street that may be used in a crime, but I think the research and the experiences there that they've truly are not effective.

Thank you. One last question.

Implementation, that was brought up tonight. A lot of folks are concerned about that. Should this council go forward with a curfew, whether it be how how many nights, how is a curfew implemented and potentially tomorrow night or bottom or night?

Absolutely. Um much like with the juvenile curfew, we're going to walk slowly into it.

There's going to [snorts] be an educational piece. I think anyone that's been down there will tell you that they've heard us doing the warnings. We are looking for compliance. And unfortunately, I've I've been in this business for a long time. I'm in year number 37. I've been part of several civil disturbances, curfew implementation, and I will tell you that what we're looking for is the deterrence

that the curfew will provide and has historically provided that we will just not get the large groups that we have historically uh been subjected to and that those that do respond we will educate, we will ask for voluntary compliance, we will do everything to probably try to avoid an arrest and I will tell you that if it does get to that point my experience is a small handful of

arrest sets the tone. I don't anticipate mass arrest in any of these situations.

That is not our intent and that's not my expectation.

And I forgot this is one last question I forgot earlier. So the suggestion also of earlier presence at 12:00 in the afternoon 3:00 in the afternoon versus 6 7 8 9 10 at night is there enough earlier presence?

No, we would love earlier presence.

There's not enough officers.

So those officers would have to come from an outlying precinct. That would be detectives that are investigating your cases right now that would not be able to investigate cases. The reason that we have such a large robust presence is because most of the violent crime does occur at night. We would love to be able to address some more of the quality of life violations during the day but the priority is is to have those

officers there when we have the two or three thousand person crowd with all the guns because I think they they mentioned it.

You can feel the tension down there some evenings and it's palpable.

We know it's not if but when the violent crime is going to pop off and we do our best to break up those conflicts but we know it's coming.

Yes sir.

Thank you Chief. Thank you for your service and presentation tonight. So one more question Mayor for City Attorney Styles. The question Excuse me, we have a few more questions for the Chief too and then is that okay with you?

Okay, thank you.

I want to ask a couple questions if that's okay.

It It all of our hearts that we don't have enough officers and this council knows that you've been doing everything possible to recruit recruit and bring in [snorts] more officers, but could you address this for the audience, please?

Absolutely. This council has been very gracious with pay raises, the support of equipment, the support of everything that we can do to try to attract more officers to this police department, but it's not just this police department. It still continues to be the profession.

Every police department is struggling.

We're struggling, Norfolk's struggling, Chesapeake I I believe is down. I will tell you that other large cities I just had the opportunity to travel out to LA.

They're a thousand officers short.

So, this is not unique to Virginia Beach. It's not always a pay raise. It is we are still struggling to recoup and overcome the stigma from you know, the 2000s with the defunding the police. That is still very much in the minds of a lot of individuals that are out there. And I will tell you you know, a prime example, qualified immunity just came up with this latest General Assembly.

We had individuals that were calling that were interested in the policing profession and they're like, "Hey, if this comes to the fruition, we can't be the police." We had officers that were coming, "Chief, what does this mean because we will leave right now if we lose the protection that if we make a mistake or do something that is not 100% correct, that we could be penalized, I can't be part of this profession. I

have to worry about the financial stability of my life and family." And that we we are struggling on a number of areas and you know, where we thought we were closing the gap, we have struggled greatly in the last year.

I remember we were closing that gap and then those two very brave officers were murdered Yes.

last year and that put a big problem with recruitment as well.

Vice Mayor, you absolutely correct and and for the community that you know, it's not something that uh when it does happen, it rocked this police department to its core.

We have an incredible amount we've got incredible officers.

Many of them are incredibly young and they have not experienced a line of duty death.

Unfortunately, I've been through several.

Um so when it does happen and that realization this this job is truly dangerous.

Um you know, we had a number of officers that could have stayed three or four more years.

The retirement papers were hitting my desk quick.

Um there were officers three and three to five-year officers.

I'm going back to my previous job.

My wife does not want me to do this job any longer.

It is a dangerous job. It is a very fulfilling job. It is a rewarding job being able to serve and protect protect this community.

But it has its dangers.

Um so [clears throat] tonight's the first time I've heard that you might need more money for lighting down there.

Do we have a number for that?

What was that Vice Mayor?

How much money do they need for this extra lighting that they're asking for?

Um Vice Mayor, the lighting would have to be coordinated with the Minion Energy.

So we can reach out to them and get a better sense of what a number in the next couple of days.

That would be really great. And it's my understanding if you wouldn't mind comment everything that you've asked for from this council as far as funding we've provided it you. Is that correct?

100% ma'am.

100% 100% And I also want to say that we have the finest police department in this entire country.

You I agree.

Councilman Hutchinson says we got to be fair.

Fair, friendly, and firm.

Which your folks are totally that.

Fair, friendly, and firm. And they're really, really wonderful. And we're so grateful for what they do for us every day. Thank you.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Yeah. Any other questions for the Chief?

Okay, Jennifer, Cash, and Stacy.

Thank you, Mayor. And thank you, Chief.

Um earlier you at the start of the meeting you presented um your position.

So, why you made the ask, the available tools that you have, and where you're restricted, the options that you don't have to help control the situation. We saw some video of scattering. So, whether fireworks or shots and large crowds that are gathered and then people running away.

And some of the questions we've uh heard tonight are can't the police control that or regulate that or step in and break down the crowd before it gets to that size and gets to that point. So, can you address those concerns or just address those questions? What can you do if you are constrained why?

Thank you, Council member. We do try to like I mentioned before, the officers try to get in and break up those large groups. But at that point, all those individuals there, they weren't doing anything wrong.

They were just a number of folks in a large place, and it's just waiting for that one incident.

It's the It's the one catalyst. And uh it's not unique to us. I've seen video of uh other resort cities where we have these large uh incidents of folks, sometimes uh several hundred, sometimes several thousand, that they're they're running. And our big concern, of course, is eventually somebody's going to get trampled.

Okay, Cash.

Thank you, Mayor. I think it's extraordinary that we've had so much community engagement.

Um and it's unfortunate that it would cause a situation like this for us to communicate and be in touch with your leaders. But I am grateful for those who showed up from District 7. I'm grateful for your interaction.

I am grateful for the public really engaging on social media.

Um like many of you said, this is a broader issue. And so whatever the decision is tonight, we need to make sure that we're not going to stop the conversation.

We need to engage the faith community.

We need to engage the violence prevention programs.

Uh we need to actually engage these programs.

It's nice that we have great conversations, and I'm thankful for the students. I'm thankful for the young people who are here. Your voice [clears throat] matters.

Um but I but it's a broader issue, right? And so we need to engage and stay engaged. Um we care.

Uh Chief, you know that we care.

[sighs] But it's a broader issue.

Um and so, community, thank you for being here tonight.

Stacy, then Josh.

Chief, I'm going to put you on the spot Yes, sir.

a little bit.

Thank you.

Is it your expectation that this proposed ordinance, if passed, is a permanent solution to the situation down at the ocean front.

And what is your goal for this ordinance?

The goal right now is to make it through the next two weekends, especially knowing that week 17, which will be in two weeks, has been a historically violent weekend for us for years, for decades.

Knowing that we've already had these two mass shootings, knowing that our most challenging weekend historically of spring break at the ocean front is upon us.

This is a proactive measure instead of reactive. Reactive, we're going to go down, we're going to implement the same strategies, we'll bring even more officers there, hope and pray for the best, but we still are limited in our tools and application as I showed you that there's only so much that we can do.

We are flooded with young adults and teens that have nothing to do down there or choose to do nothing but walk them down Atlantic Avenue over a few block period until the conflict finds them or they find the conflict. And the problem with that is it's not fistfights anymore, sir. We know that. We we we say this every time.

Very rarely are they fistfighting or if there are fists thrown, the guns are coming out shortly behind them. Takes 12 seconds.

So the the goal is for us to be able as a city, as a police department, as a community to get through these next two weekends, especially the one that I have concerns about from long-term historical violence. And then I would offer, if it's successful, it is a discussion about what next year would look like.

So Mr. Mayor, Councilman Cummings, and then Chief also, the long-term strategy as Councilman recalls, this has been probably 18 months since the council and us have been having this conversation. Last year following the incident where we I think um seized probably like 50 or so weapons. Last year we came and presented the council about the inadequacies of the laws that we currently have in place and that's

what we told we kind of briefed you all about the best practices that we've identified in other cities and that's when we asked your permission to bring forward a pop-up event legislation to the General Assembly. The council at that time asked us to go ahead and socialize the idea with our stakeholders in the community which we did and then as part of your November council package

you adopted that and unfortunately for a myriad of reasons it wasn't able to be enacted by the General Assembly. So the long-term goal is to address the concerns that was raised by the Commonwealth and then get that kind of legislation in place because that is what we found at cities in Florida, in Maryland, and in Georgia have been able to use tools like that to be able to better police and better handle these

large pop-up events that happen in certain geographic areas. So those are the tools that we're hoping to get to give the police a little bit more teeth and their enforcement over time.

Okay, Stacie.

Yes, sir.

Okay, Josh.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you, Chief.

Councilman.

Um we we just heard from you and we've heard from you before that March and April have obviously been historically challenging for us.

Um and more coming off the heels of two challenging weekends.

Um we've heard from you in the informal briefing room about some of the limitations y'all have as a as a law enforcement agency to um engage uh people uh in in in crowds and and I was hoping you might be able to elaborate a little bit for the people who are here and for the people who are listening.

Uh you know, because not all of us have that appreciation for what your officers encounter in situations like that where um you know they they may not have a reason to approach somebody even even if they're wearing a gun openly in a in a place where we know that um that it that that has has has had a history of of kind of dangerous activity going on.

Um things like jaywalking, loitering, window tints, smell of marijuana, all of those those things I know you've mentioned before but Yeah, I I know it makes your job very challenging.

And so um when the community you know when you when you have 90 officers plus down there which by the way and I know you said this in a press conference that is an entire police precinct.

Extra police precinct down at the oceanfront.

Um and you've closed streets.

And we've closed it to minors.

Uh things were going well and all of a sudden despite all that big law enforcement presence 12 seconds it took.

[snorts] So um please talk about the the limitations that you have in that in that and some of the tools that we've sought that we've not gotten because I think the public needs to hear about that as well.

Absolutely. Just a you know we live in a Second Amendment Constitutional Rights Bill of Rights. Um and we have a very engaged to a community or at least from the outside that they bring those guns to the oceanfront. Um it is not uncommon to see a lot of individuals open carrying.

Completely legal. Doesn't mean it's not concerning because we see a lot of these individuals are young individuals with AR slung and you wonder about their decision-making because we know that a lot of these young individuals resolve conflict in other ways than what happened when we were we were children.

So we worry about the conflict resolution and now they've got a an AR with 30 rounds slung across their chest.

So it's incredibly concerning. So we are definitely watching and waiting. Uh, we try to intervene if it looks like there's going to be some type of conflict and try to break that up. But as you've seen from the videos, sometimes it just comes out of the blue.

It's that quick that they're going to encounter each other on the street and it's not going to be fisticuffs. The guns are coming out and they're shooting. And there is just absolutely nothing for our officers to de-escalate at that point.

Well, and I and I know, you know, I've talked to a lot of young people as I'm sure my colleagues have up here and and you know, um, [sighs] uh, people are confused about the minor curfew um, and you know, what what I what I see over, you know, what has happened over the last couple of weeks has has um, you know, you you just said you had a thousand less youngsters out there to

deal with. Um, that meant um, one of those youngsters that wasn't there wasn't in the way of a stray bullet.

So um, and and we are we are trying to we've already identified this area as being an unsafe space right now based on historical and and recent events.

Um, and and this is a tool you're asking from us. Like you are asking because you need it.

Uh, and and and despite being 88 officers down and 90 officers plus at that oceanfront, we still have this transpire in 12 seconds.

Is that fair?

If Chief, go ahead. I'll chime in after Mayor. I got a comment I want to make right after the chief finishes his remarks.

Council member, yes. Um we are concerned about making it in light of what has occurred already uh with two mass shootings of making it through the next two weekends which are more challenging weekends than uh the ones we have had already. So I'm going to make one last point and just reiterate confirm these last two shootings, I counted maybe one either shooting victim or suspect was from anywhere near Virginia Beach.

None of them were from Virginia Beach.

One was maybe from Hampton Roads. The rest were from 50 miles, 100 miles plus away. Is that accurate enough?

That is correct for the most recent one.

Uh I believe almost everyone involved was from Richmond or Henrico with uh just one victim that was from Hampton Roads. Yes, sir.

It's an incredibly tough job our police have to do. Thank you, sir.

Patrick.

And Mr. Mayor, I I just want to um articulate to the council and chief, you might have to clean up for me if I get any of this wrong.

The curfew legislation the curfew request that we're asking for is pretty deliberate.

If you look at the data that we see in terms of um crime part one crimes in Virginia Beach, especially along the oceanfront.

Particularly the oceanfront.

It's the months of [snorts] March and April where we see a peak.

Right? It's those months right before we hit the peak tourism season. And literally if if it never fails, but knock on wood it never fails. Once you get into May, June, July, August, things stabilize tremendously.

So when the chief is asking for this, he's asking to just get us that period of time. And it's probably one of the things that we might need to think about at least for something to be in our toolbox over time to address if we can't get things like the pop-up legislation that we asked for to help address these issues because it's what other cities are using to address this and they've been using it

successfully because they've been having these issues for a couple years.

But if you look at the data, we'll make sure we get you some information for you to see that as well. The peak issues happen in the months of March and April and that's really what we're trying to buy time to get through so we can get to that season where the hotels are booming and then everything is jumping off which kind of stabilizes thing and Chief, I don't know if there's

anything you want to add to that.

I just want to reaffirm that the manager is 100% correct. We struggle in March and April.

Very rarely does it extend into May. I think after May last year, we had one shooting incident for approximately that 7 and 1/2 month period. We struggle March and April and I'm concerned about the next two weekends unfortunately.

And Mr. Mayor, I'm sorry. I'm I'm going to just go ahead and and a couple because this is really important.

I I want to reiterate or at least have you reiterate, sir.

Um cuz we've had a lot of people come I mean hundreds of emails, um lots of phone calls, um stakeholders worried about shutting down commerce on Atlantic Avenue.

Um speakers worried about our our tourism industry and all of those are rightful concerns. So um there's lots of exceptions, right? So that if you're going to and from work, if you are coming home, um if you have a late night dinner reservation at Il Giardino's on a you know, it's a 9:00 reservation and you want to stay and have an extra drink and dessert and you leave at 10:30, you can

go home. Nobody's going to pull you over. Um is that is that all fair to say?

Completely accurate.

You're going to the CASA event which I'm going to this weekend at the dome, and it's a concert or an event or somewhere or a bar mitzvah or a quinceanera, and you're coming home and you're on your way there, and you're you're not going to pull over somebody transiting the space just just just moving about. Um is that correct?

Completely accurate, Council Member.

you're if you're out there for a First Amendment activity, if you uh have some desire to express yourself in some way, you're not going to interfere with with that activity so long as it's it's contained and organized, right?

Correct, sir.

Okay. Um and if you're So somebody asked about dogs. Uh if you live between I don't own a dog, uh but if you live between Rudy Park and 31st Street and you want to walk your dog, uh you can go ahead and walk your dog. I'm I'm imagining uh as long as you're not carrying like a long gun with you while you're going to walk your dog, right? Is that fair to say?

Well, I think that would get a little challenging cuz we don't want to be accused of selective enforcement. So we would encourage them to take the dog for the walk back onto the private property.

Relieve the dog somewhere close by and and yeah.

on the private property.

Like like I indicated, we're going to be doing like we have done uh with the imminent juvenile curfew enforcement, we've had a lot of engagements, Mhm.

sent a lot of folks home, got a ton of voluntary compliance. I think we've only made eight actual curfew arrests in the weeks that we've had it because it's done exactly what we've intended and wanted it to do is it's discouraged those young 13, 14, 15-year-olds from coming to the beach unaccompanied.

And the general approach is if the curfew is 9:00, you're going to approach them at 8:30 and say, "Hey, just by the way, just so you know, about 9:00 you're going to have to mosey on." And then between 9:00 and 9:30, nobody's going to go off with handcuffs. You're going to remind them a little bit more sternly and just depending on the situation and all of that. So, yeah, everybody's

Everybody's got their discretion to exercise.

Very similar to what we've done with the juvenile limited curfew. You know, we usually start an hour out. The officers are traveling Atlantic in the area on their PA. You know, at 6:00 p.m., "Hey, juvenile curfew's in effect at 7:00."

6:15 announcement, 6:30 announcement, 6:45 announcement. I know the first few weeks that we were down there, we made up flyers and we were our officers were walking Atlantic handing them out, educating the folks.

Curfew's going You know, curfew's going to be in effect. Please comply. And I think our officers have done a fantastic job of educating, gaining voluntary compliance, warning where we need [snorts] to, and only arresting as a last resort. And like you mentioned, Council member, it's working because when we have, you know, only a a crowd of a thousand on a Saturday night where usually it

could be 2,500 and we don't have those young kids running around like we saw in the video that we're worried about being trampled, that's a win for us.

Thank you. And I'm I'm just about done, but I just I I want to number one say thank you to everybody. They say ain't easy up here.

There's 11 of us just sitting up here.

We're neighbors. And you know, we're we're we're just working trying to keep you safe. We're doing the best we possibly can.

But you know, we we are so lucky to have a talented police force, professional police force who's going to whatever authority we give them, they're going to use responsibly. We know it. Um and and uh the the the these and and and any it isn't easy for you either and your and your folks that are out there dealing with this and having to make those split second decisions. So,

um and a a lot of us oftentimes talk in absolutism. We're for something or against something.

This is the least worst I think decision we probably could ever, you know, the least worst or least impactful kind of way. So, anyway, thank you for letting me go off a little bit.

Anything [snorts] else for the chief?

Okay, thanks, Chief.

Thank you, Mayor. Mark, do you have something for the attorney?

Yes, thank you, Mayor Dyer. Uh City Attorney Mark Styles, uh the question on everyone's mind too all we can tonight is the constitutionality of a curfew as proposed tonight. Can you address that?

Yes, sir, Mr. Remick.

This curfew is a limited time, place, and manner restriction which is permissible under certain circumstances if the appropriate conditions are met.

Um It addresses a demonstrated public safety concern, which is a legitimate governmental interest.

It applies equally to all persons regardless of viewpoint, race, gender, etc.

Um it is limited both in terms of dates and times and geographic area based upon the experience of the police department.

And so, when those circumstances exist, courts have held that uh it it it can be sustained against a First Amendment challenge.

So, I believe this is an entirely defensible action. Nobody is happy that we're that we're considering it, but I do believe that there is a strong argument that this does not violate uh First Amendment rights.

Okay.

Okay Jennifer.

I have a question.

Oh oh okay.

Thank you, Mayor. So, I've talked with a couple of colleagues ahead of tonight just talking working through my own opinion and then waiting to hear from the public and I can say I came into it and I'm still torn. So, I'll just share with you my thoughts as we're deliberating because it seems I mean, what we're dealing with is risk. What risk are we willing to tolerate or accept? And this began because the chief

of police came to us with a public safety concern and cited today but also to us in the closed session the tool where he's limited and where he's seeking help and assistance from city council to try to prevent mass casualties, to try to prevent more shootings.

And I also understand the economic risk of businesses and their employees who rely on income and the hours that could be affected by this. So, it's a very tough decision. What risk are we going to take? What risk can we manage? And I accept the criticism and the critique of council that we know we've known that this has been an issue and have not yet programmed for it. In some ways, I think

perhaps we were relying on the pop-up legislation maybe just assuming that would be a tool that could be enacted.

And so, when it wasn't, we were left sort of scrambling well, now what do we do? And so, um I think we accept that feedback though also for myself I accept that criticism and we also got a lot of ideas tonight and I want to make sure that it's formalized not something that just sort of after today we move on. So, I'd like perhaps during our next meeting during council comments to have I know

there's been discussion of mayor some kind of board or task force but to have a conversation about how are we going to solicit feedback that we heard tonight but also feedback from people who aren't in this room for from all ages and stakeholders about what can ideas, whatever they may look like because this is a wicked problem. There's not a single solution to this. So, we need as

as many options as we can get. Um and I'd like briefings on what other resort cities do because that's been the reference point. What about Miami? What about Panama Beach? What about Myrtle Beach? What about Outer Banks? And I know some of them have different legislative options [snorts] than we do.

Some of them may have considered ideas that we haven't. So, as part of like our council discussions, I'd like um like dedicated briefings to seeing what other cities have done successfully to move past this as an attempt to be more proactive than this. So, depending on where you are, this is reactive, this is proactive, but I feel torn about it um because what we're asking to do is keep the public safe.

And what we're asking to do is it affects the people who live here directly. Um and so, I just wanted to kind of articulate my thoughts as we're having this discussion.

Um but I thank everybody for their feedback and I know I share I'm we've talked about this. This is very challenging. So, thank you.

Amelia.

Thank you again. This conversation is very important. And what I've been doing, people wonder, I've been jotting down certain um touch points.

One that really touched me was whoever came up to say, "We want our beach back."

"We want our beach back." Is that important to everyone out here?

How you're impacted, whether it is your son or daughter. And especially where we had our youth speak.

Someone mentioned about the human element about back ambassadors, really getting right within the crowd.

More activities for youth to do.

Young man said, we do get a lot of people coming in for events, but there's some that we do not relate to. So, there's something we can look at. He mentioned looking at car shows, other things that they personally feel comfortable not to try to destroy what they see.

Um Other point I wrote down was a young lady who says, go to the people.

That was another important aspect.

Crowd out the bad actors.

What solutions can we have?

And I know representing Town Center today, they mentioned, with what's going down, please have a police out near Town Center because crowd will shift.

But we've thought about this long and hard.

I know you as our police chief is in a hot hot rock, as they say, in a point because but sometimes we have to make decisions. And not everybody's going to like the decision that comes down, but at least we're compiling different areas. We are also deeply concerned.

Because what impacts you also impacts us.

So, at this point with all the littering, everything else, I would like for us moving forward.

Thank you.

Okay, uh Stacy, and then let's get to a motion.

I just like to assure everyone that, as the city manager said, this has been an ongoing discussion uh during the last 15 months that I've been on council.

And this is not a knee-jerk reaction.

This is an escalation of measures that were considered previously.

As Councilwoman Rouse said, this Council put a lot of uh hope in the pop-up event legislation that did not come through.

So, we we're hoping that we can keep working on that with our state legislatures.

And [snorts] um in the meantime, again, this is just an escalation of measures that were considered.

Thank you.

Worth, make a make a motion.

I will, Mayor. Thank you. And but before I make that motion, I also want to just add to the discussion um because all week, I mean, last Sunday morning at 8:00 in the morning till 11:00 Sunday night, I was on the phone texting everyone up here. It's been all week, and it's been very refreshing uh as a District 6 representative to hear all from everyone across the city. A lot from the resort, yes, where I represent,

but I've heard from every part of the city all week. I know all of us have, and we appreciate it. Uh this is very difficult topic and issue as we have heard tonight. But I just want to thank everybody, and we as we heard tonight also, let's take make this an opportunity, which I'll want to talk about in a minute. But let me step back for a minute and just [gasps]

remind everyone of the resort value, the value of tourism, the the value of of our resort. It's the city I moved to in 1985. It's It's got the name of a state, Virginia, and a geographic location, beach, Virginia Beach, the state's largest city in the sign on Northampton Boulevard. It says, "Welcome to Virginia Beach, the world's largest resort." I'm very proud to make this to have this as

my home town since a long time ago.

14.1 14.3 uh million visitors a year. That's a lot of visitors. It's also a lot of intentions to recreate, vacate, uh have fun, and That's a lot. It also generates 2.8 billion in direct economic impact on our city. Indirect impact is 3.8 or 3.9 billion. It's huge. It is the economic engine of our city along with several other areas, but 3 uh 34 to 35,000 jobs in our city, 336 million

uh in taxes for state and local taxes.

336 million. It is a huge enterprise, and it's not easy.

So, I say all that just to remind everybody because it is precious. And again, I want to talk This is an opportunity. Let's make take a bad thing and make it into a good thing. Right now, I think there'd be about a thousand people. I'm exaggerating. At least a hundred people that would sign up for a task force, and let's hear your ideas.

And I think that's going to be the good out of this. I hope that we take is we're going to make uh and involve all the business owners on Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Avenue and at the resort, but also citizens from across the city. I think you all all care about it, and we're going to make it better. Let's make a good thing out of a bad thing.

Um Chief Newdicate um spoke at the press conference the other day. He spoke tonight. Um everyone who spoke tonight and everyone who's written these emails all week, you're all you're all right. I mean, there's no easy solution here. And the solution that I'm going to make a motion for is an awful solution. I regret it. Uh I hate to say that, but I do. But, that's where we are. This is the request of of Chief

Newdicate and City Manager uh De Haynie. This is where we are.

Um it's the worst of all evils uh so to speak, nuclear option. I'm being all blunt here. Uh but, it I make it into two things. I've already sort of talked about the long term, and that's the task force and how we're going to get this right. But, the short-term the short-term solution, because 24 hours from now it's Friday night.

And then uh 48 hours from now is the anniversary of a week ago of our second shooting in 5 weeks.

And so, without anything better, uh I think I'm in favor of a short-term um curfew for and on the table on the ordinance is something different. I'm want to amend that um proposal. And that's tomorrow night the curfew would start at 9:30.

It would end Saturday morning at 5:00.

That's in in the um ordinance, but the starting time would be 9:30 ending Saturday morning at 5:00 and then beginning again Saturday night at 9:30.

Um that's Saturday, April 18th, 9:30 and ending Sunday, April 19th at 5:00 in the morning. And then um week 17, which we've heard about, a very dangerous weekend in our past a Friday night curfew of 9:30 ending Saturday morning at 5:00. And that's a different amendment to the ordinance.

Thank you.

Okay. We have a second. Second.

Second.

Okay. Anybody want to speak uh for Okay.

Rosemary.

[clears throat] Well, I really appreciate all the speakers that came out and those people that also came to listen. And and I hope you know that we really all hate this.

We really all hate this.

Um Yeah.

Okay. Folks, please.

Please, civility out there, please.

We We really do.

Um And it's it's not funny.

This is really not a funny time. And a 35-day period, 20 people were shot. 20 people.

And thank thank God that none of them were fatal.

And we've we've been very very lucky that none were fatal.

But I don't know how much longer the luck would run out. And if we if we did nothing, we would be blamed for doing nothing, especially if something happened this weekend.

What if some What if some young family was down here and their child got shot? I mean, bullets they don't have a home. They just go wherever.

So, we we feel like we we have to do something. And it's only for for public safety. Now, all of you have brought in some fantastic ideas tonight.

This weekend is a short-term, very short-term, temporary measure.

But you're right. We need some long-term measures. And the mayor's got some wonderful ideas about the task force.

And I heard a lot of people volunteering for that. And this is where we can get some of our long-term our long-term ideas out there.

Uh we're also I think we should have a community meeting with our uh state delegation to let them know how important this pop up in a positive way at a very positive meeting. And we would like to have groups that would like to be involved with that. Please let us know if you have a group that would like to be involved cuz we want this to be citywide.

Uh and and again, we want it to be a very positive thing so that everybody can understand how important this was.

But we really thank you and uh This is it it this is a very tough one cuz we all and we're and we're we're all in it together.

And we're better together. And if we can help support each other, it would be really helpful. Thank you.

Thank you. Jennifer.

Oh, okay. you, Mayor. Yeah, this is um we had we received a number of options for to consider in preparation for the weekend. Um and I know it was last minute, so in terms of we got a briefing um Tuesday, today is Thursday.

Um and so the public didn't have a lot of time to process and respond. Um votes that would be I think easy for some of us to make would have been harder for others and vice versa. So, as example, it would have been easier for me to support something like a gun-free zone, and I recognize that there were all sorts of challenges about that. So, it's an option that um is not something that we're going to

consider as response, and I'm okay with that. Um [clears throat] I'm leaning as a no vote, and I want no celebration about that in terms of my position and my colleagues' positions.

And by that, I mean um nobody is happy with this.

Um I I would have liked to see more discussion of an option that didn't require that didn't have as much of a an economic impact, but may have restricted um I just would have preferred a different option, but I recognize that none of them are ideal.

None of them are good for everybody. So, um just sharing that in this vote um all of us are taking a position on supporting our community and making sure that the public is safe. And so, I just want to um make my position clear, but also commit my colleagues that we've been having lots of hard conversations about this. So, wherever we land, it's ultimately in supportive um what we feel is best in trying to protect in

our community, so.

Okay, Josh.

Um [snorts] uh thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Councilwoman. Uh and and I can echo to the public uh uh he you know, we we all we all have talked about this quite a bit. Uh and because that we understand um these are these are really um new and and um you know, kind of abrupt changes. Uh but but but these the the the the number one duty we have is to keep people safe. Um

and just for clarity is there's a motion and a second and it's from 9:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Friday, Saturday Friday. Yes. And then uh the next Saturday, so that the I mean cuz we'll already have a a a really substantial presence down there for the festival and the USO and Bulls and girls and stuff. Okay.

Confirmed.

Okay. All right, good. Um yeah, if you don't already have a second, I will I will second that.

It was it was already there.

We're getting ready. Anybody else?

Okay, if I can make some comments prior to the vote. I think most important thing when you have a controversial decision, and this is a very controversial there is a why. You know, why do we feel that way?

And you know, we're acutely aware of some of the economic impact that it's going to have on people. But then again, why?

And once again, it's been brought over and over and over again.

This is not a new situation at the oceanfront at week 17.

It's been going on for decades. Uh matter of fact, I started coming here as a uh early in the mid '70s.

Uh visit a friend that lives on Lake Christopher, where I live now, and there was a uh mounted cop that lived there.

And he would tell me what was going on at the oceanfront back back in the day.

So, this is nothing new.

And you know uh you know week 17 has been something we've been chasing. You know, we tried something in the water. It was magical at first. You know, it's not for lack of effort you know, that we are still here at an impasse.

[sighs and gasps] And uh the but once again, if I just want to emphasize one thing.

This you know is very temporary in nature by design. This is what we call a strategic pause.

And let me just you know be just honest about you. You know, when we have a couple mass shootings, we can make an argument that it is isolated. If we have another event on week 17, now you got a trend.

And to my friends that have all the businesses, I really think that this would be detrimental to the long-term viability of Virginia Beach.

So, by putting in a strategic pause, we say we take time to pause and reflect.

But once again, it's a limited time.

A very limited time.

A weekend that has proven you know, statistically, logically, or whatever, it's a problematic weekend.

And we just cannot have we don't have the luxury of you know, going forward, especially when the police chief asks you know, for some help.

And I look at this as a short-term inconvenience for long-term gain.

And but once again, when you talk about you know, what's next, okay, that's what you really want to hear. Because you don't want to hear that we're going to be doing this periodically over and over again. You know, we did have the uh glitch. You know, we're going to deal with real estate. We had the glitch trying to get the pop-up legislation. But once again, we're going to be proactive going

forward. Um you know, we're encouraging all the you the critics of what's going on, walk in the shoes of the police, do a ride along. We're encouraging our delegation, do a ride ride along and see what actually goes on in the street. Uh, you know, back you know, I figured out even before I moved here and what I've heard here uh, that, you know, before 10:00 at the ocean front on a weekend,

you're living in Mayberry. After 10:00, you're living in Tombstone. There is a transformation at that time for some reason that has historically been going on. It's a resort town, it's a military town. What we are encountering right now is a nationwide epidemic of violence.

You know, where people have spontaneous, uh, you know, uh, fights and things of that nature, spontaneous retaliation.

You know, we we're dealing with a new paradigm here where youth automatically carry weapons. When people were saying, "Back in our day, we wouldn't even think about it." And [clears throat] I'm a Marine, I know how to use a weapon, but I ain't going to walk around the ocean front with it. But once again, I just want to say that we're going to be looking forward to the future. We're

going to be looking forward to working with our delegation to, uh, you know, to empower our police. We We want to We want to send a message. We want people coming to the beach, but if you're coming to the beach and you're looking to come here and do harm and mischief, we want you to know that by in fact, we will if the police catch you, you will be prosecuted and you very well may be

sent to jail. And as we were hearing, we want the 99% of the people that are coming here to know that we are a safe city. And that is the reason why we're going to take action today. And I just want to thank everybody for coming and be assured you will be part of the dialogue going forward. This point let's open the vote.

The vote is open.

And then the vote is for uh the substitute motion.

Or is it the the altered uh The alternate version, right?

Alternate version.

By vote of 10 to 1, you have approved the alternate version of the ordinance.

Okay. Um we thank you all for coming.

Thank you. God bless you.