GREENSBORO, N.C. — Compared to this time last year, Greensboro is experiencing a 65% increase in homicides.
We're over six months into this year and there have been 36 homicides.
Ingram Bell was one of the first this year to lose a loved one. Her friend, Natasha Walker was shot and killed in January.
"Until we can figure it out and figure out exactly what this is that is causing this uptick it's going to continuously be a fight for all of us," said Bell.
In response to this concerning statistic, Chief John Thompson is calling on the community to come up with a plan while he works to do the same from the law enforcement side.
"We're going to shift some of our discretionary resources although not many," Thompson explained.
Thompson says they plan to increase vehicle stops, directed patrols, and visibility in high crime areas.
Bells says placing more police into communities isn't the answer.
"With the community having trust issues as is with the police... the community is already in an up-roar and scared," Bell explained.
However, Chief Thompson insists their goal isn't to over police victimized communities.
"We need to position our officers in locations where we know there is a higher likelihood of crime to occur in hopes that they can build relationships with that community, perhaps gain information that will help us and provide our officers opportunities to intervene with these high priority offenders who are taking guns into the community," Thompson explained.
Patricia Roberts' son Mickey was shot and killed nearly 30 years ago, and they still don't know who did it.
She thinks it will be good for officers to introduce themselves and get familiar with neighbors.
"I'm hoping that one day all of this will be put into play and make a great big difference in some of the neighborhoods where the high crime is really existing right now," Roberts explained.
She's hopeful community and law enforcement efforts will keep future mothers from feeling the same pain she'd felt.
"That's the hurtful part about it. I had to realize that he was not coming back," recalled Roberts.