Chesapeake, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Hampton have installed speed cameras in local school and work zones to deter speeding and enhance overall public safety.

Though law enforcement leaders tout the equipment as a safety measure to deter speeding, the cameras can also be significant moneymakers — with Chesapeake and Suffolk already raking in millions.

Chesapeake has a dozen cameras that have been active since 2022. The city reports a total of 158,075 violations since then, along with about $9.7 million in revenue.

Another 10 cameras in Suffolk went active in fall 2023 along with one at a work zone. Since then, the city reports roughly 196,000 citations, collecting $14.2 million in revenue. After paying the vendor, net revenue is $10.5 million. Suffolk did not specify whether the citation and revenue figures provided to The Virginian-Pilot were specific to school and work zone speed cameras only. The city also operates red light and school bus cameras.

Both cities previously said net revenue would go toward highway safety improvements and personnel costs.

The school zone speed cameras in Chesapeake and Suffolk are targeted in two lawsuits brought by former Del. Tim Anderson, an attorney who alleges the cities are improperly issuing speeding violations and allowing third party vendors to impersonate local government when collecting fees.

Anderson’s case in Suffolk is awaiting an order from a judge on whether it will move forward. A hearing in the Chesapeake case is scheduled for Sept. 18.

The Virginia General Assembly approved legislation in 2020 that allows state and local police to set up speed cameras at highway work sites and school crossing zones. Under that law, only motorists caught going at least 10 mph over the speed limit are ticketed up to $100.

Hampton is in the process of rolling out a dozen cameras in school zones this fall as part of a pilot program with staggered warning periods.

A 30-day warning period began Aug. 26 for cameras located near Bethel High School, Hampton High School and Hunter B. Andrews Pre-K. A 30-day grace period will begin for cameras at Jones Magnet Middle School, Kecoughtan High School, Lindsay Middle School and Machen Elementary School by Sept. 30. And cameras at another set of schools — Mary W. Jackson Elementary School, Thomas Eaton Middle School, Aberdeen Elementary School, Barron Elementary School and William Mason Cooper Elementary — will have a 30-day grace period beginning no later than Oct. 15.

Hampton city officials said about $3.5 million would be budgeted for the school zone speed camera pilot program.

Norfolk has 19 cameras in place across 10 public school locations. A 60-day warning period was slated to end in May, but a city spokesperson said last week that the cameras are still in an active warning period “until summons language can be resolved with the general district court and our vendor, Verra Mobility.”

Part of Anderson’s complaint in his lawsuits was that officers weren’t issuing an official Virginia summons document consistent with other traffic infractions when making the speeding citations.

Portsmouth has 16 cameras, and police began fining drivers in December. The city reports 28,289 citations and $951,061 of revenue collected between January and June. Of the total revenue, $565,042 will be paid to the third-party vendor.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the latest citations and revenue figures from the city of Portsmouth. The city provided the figures after the article published.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

Special tax increment financing (TIF) districts were established in South Norfolk and Greenbrier in the early 2000s. Portions of tax revenue from property assessments within the districts are earmarked specifically for projects there, primarily to spur economic development and improve infrastructure.

Both districts have their own funds. For the fiscal 2025 budget that began July 1, $12.4 million of revenue was received for the South Norfolk TIF — an increase of about 11% over the previous fiscal year — and $15.6 million for the Greenbrier TIF. As revenue is received each year, the difference between projected revenue and budgeted expenses within each district is sent back into the respective districts’ fund balance to use for future projects as needed.

___

South Norfolk projects

In South Norfolk, the most expensive project is the new municipal center within the Poindexter corridor, a 45,500-square-foot building that also could include a business incubator and retail space. The total cost is about $42 million and primarily will be funded with bonds, but an accumulation of almost $12 million in TIF revenue will also help cover the project. Completion is anticipated in 2026.

Another chunk of money — $6.5 million of TIF money budgeted several years ago — is earmarked for strategic acquisition of residential and commercial property along key transportation corridors within South Norfolk for rehabilitation and redevelopment.

Almost $3 million of TIF funds will cover neighborhood sidewalk connections and expansions beginning next year and spanning to 2027. The projects will be focused along Myers Road; Hull, Ohio, Poindexter, Richmond and Rodgers streets; and Chesapeake, Jackson, Orville, Wright, Chamberlain, Wilbur and Post avenues.

The Freeman Overpass Bridge project will primarily be covered with around $11 million of South Norfolk TIF funding and more than $2 million in bond debt. An accumulation of $3.6 million will fund improvements on Chesapeake Avenue.

Another nearly $1 million of TIF funds is used for a program that assists property owners within historic districts with home improvement projects, grants for façade improvement projects in South Norfolk’s business district, and a parking lot for Poindexter Street that could be complete by the end of the year.

Other projects with less than $2 million of funding earmarked include pedestrian and light improvements on Poindexter Street at the Interstate 464 overpass, the Port Locke Railroad Overpass Bridge, the Guerriere Street closure and conversion and the activation of vacant city-owned parcels at Liberty and 22nd Street.

___

Greenbrier projects

In Greenbrier, the biggest expense includes $10 million for site and infrastructure improvements for mixed-use and commercial development within the district, which could include potential redevelopment of Greenbrier Mall and future construction at Summit Pointe.

About $3.5 million will be used to extend Belaire Avenue off Volvo Parkway. More than $1 million will be directed to pedestrian safety improvements in the commercial district, including walkways, paths and crosswalks that could be complete by the end of the year.

A little more than $1 million will go toward stormwater outfall improvements in the district. Other smaller projects include a Greenbrier redevelopment study and intersection improvements on Battlefield Boulevard at Volvo Parkway.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

Chesapeake resident Nelson Velez filed the lawsuit in Chesapeake Circuit Court this week, asking the court to compel the Virginia Department of Elections and the local registrar to find Carey ineligible to run, remove him from the ballots and delay printing them.

It’s the second legal action taken amid an ongoing dispute over Carey’s candidacy. A majority of City Council members in July approved a lawsuit seeking to compel him to resign his council seat.

At issue is a resign-to-run provision on the books in Chesapeake that requires any council member running for mayor to vacate their council seat by June 30. The provision was established when Chesapeake held city elections in May, but it was not altered when the General Assembly acted in 2021 to shift city elections to November. Carey’s council term will end Dec. 31.

Velez’s complaint states because Carey didn’t resign, he didn’t fulfill all necessary requirements to be a mayoral candidate.

Reached by phone Friday, Carey said the move was “disheartening” and “anti-democratic.”

“It’s just an attempt to disenfranchise not only myself, but the people that I represent and the issues that we’re fighting for,” he said. “I would have never thought to see something like this happening in the city of Chesapeake.”

Carey and Mary Lynn Pinkerman, the city’s elections registrar, confirmed to The Virginian-Pilot that Carey filed all necessary documentation to be considered a candidate. Pinkerman, who’s named in the complaint, didn’t comment on the pending litigation.

Velez’s complaint, which seeks an emergency injunction, urges a hearing no later than Tuesday, but as of Friday, no hearing was scheduled. His attorney, Christopher Woodfin of Woodfin Law in Williamsburg, told The Pilot on Friday that Chesapeake judges have recused themselves, and a judge is being appointed. Still, he’s confident the court will expedite the process before the election.

It’s also unclear when the City Council’s lawsuit will be heard. All Chesapeake Circuit Court judges also have recused themselves in that case and no hearing was on the docket as of Friday.

When Carey declared his candidacy in March, he announced he was switching political parties to become a Democrat in the nonpartisan election. He is running against incumbent Rick West in the Nov. 5 election.

Pinkerman said the window for creating, proofing, printing and delivering ballots begins Sept. 6 and spans to Sept. 20, the start of early voting at the registrar’s office.

Velez’s complaint also states that if Carey is included on ballots, he asks that Carey be forced to resign as a council member and pay back the salary he earned after June 30.

Reached by phone Friday, Velez said he filed the lawsuit because he “needed to act” before the start of early voting.

“I pretty much filed it because I’m a citizen of Chesapeake, and I’m concerned about this absolute disregard of law,” he said.

John O’Bannon, the chair of the Virginia Board of Elections, also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. He did not respond to a request for comment. Andrea Gaines, a Virginia Department of Elections spokesperson, declined to comment on the pending litigation.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

Suffolk Circuit Court Judge Alfred Bates III heard a case Tuesday brought by former Del. Tim Anderson against the city of Suffolk. In April, Anderson filed a lawsuit in the circuit courts of Chesapeake and Suffolk alleging the cities are improperly issuing speeding violations and allowing third party vendors to impersonate local government when collecting fees. State code says that “any prosecution shall be instituted and conducted in the same manner as prosecution for traffic infractions.”

The crux of the dispute at Tuesday’s hearing was whether the city is entitled to sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine that protects government entities from some legal action. Suffolk Assistant City Attorney Rebecca Powers also disputed, through examples of case law, the interpretation of the word “shall” in state code, noting that the term doesn’t mean it’s mandatory to follow the law precisely as written. The city also argues, through a demurrer, that the plaintiff’s claims are false and the case should be tossed out.

After the hearing, Powers declined to comment. A city spokesperson also declined to comment.

Anderson has said state code for school and work zone cameras in particular is specific about issuing citations with the same official uniform Virginia summons issued for other traffic infractions. It also allows cities to contract with third-party private companies to provide the services. But Anderson’s argument Tuesday was that while cities have the right to use the equipment and issue fines, they can’t do it through a private third-party. And that by doing so, the city waived its sovereign immunity.

“(When) courts have wrestled with this before, there’s really never been a situation where the government has said, ‘You owe us money,’ and then the citizen says, ‘I don’t think you’re doing it legally,'” Anderson said after Tuesday’s hearing. “So I think it’s a case of real first impression for the court to wrestle with.”

The General Assembly approved legislation in 2020 allowing state and local police to set up speed cameras at highway work sites and school crossing zones. Under that law, only motorists caught going at least 10 mph over the speed limit are ticketed.

Several Hampton Roads cities have installed speed cameras since in an effort to deter speeding and enhance public safety. A dozen cameras went live in Chesapeake in 2022. Suffolk has cameras at 10 schools and one work zone — launched last year.

As of April, Chesapeake police issued 150,788 citations and collected $9.35 million in fines, according to information provided by the city. Suffolk issued 167,883 as of March and had collected $11.72 million in fines.

Anderson’s client in the Suffolk case, whom he’s representing pro bono, is Curtis Lytle from the city of Zuni. He received a notice of violation in June in a Suffolk work zone.

A hearing in the Chesapeake case is scheduled in September. Anderson had also filed a federal lawsuit challenging the use of the cameras, but said Tuesday that case had been withdrawn while the state lawsuits play out.

The judge said he’d issue a ruling on the sovereign immunity claim as well as the demurrer within 30 days via a letter.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

Steven Carter, 62, assumed the role of Portsmouth’s CEO in April after Portsmouth City Council pursued a nationwide search in 2023. At the time of his appointment, he was serving as city manager in Albany, Georgia — a city not quite as big as Portsmouth — in southwest Georgia. He marks the fourth city manager hire in as many years.

Raised in the small town of Waycross, Georgia — about 100 miles from Albany — Carter’s status as an outsider means he’s coming into the role with a fresh start. His arrival wasn’t without some conflict, however, as his hire was approved by a 4-3 council vote.

The division was created because some members supported retaining Mimi Terry, who held the interim role for more than a year. She also had previously served as the city’s chief financial officer, among other top city positions.

During Carter’s oath of office ceremony, he acknowledged the split appointment, noting at the time that “we have to agree that we are not adversaries.”

“One of the values of bringing somebody in that don’t have any alliances is that you get that fresh start,” Carter said during an interview with The Virginian-Pilot in his office last week. “I don’t know anybody here. I don’t owe anything to anybody here. Nobody owes me anything.

“I’m here to do a job. And again, I work for seven people. So anytime I’m dealing with a situation, I deal with seven people.”

The Air Force veteran has degrees in computer information systems and a master of business administration from Liberty University, according to his resume. Carter ascended to the city manager position in Albany through his background in technology as a chief information officer, where one perk of the job is working intimately with each department. He worked his way up to deputy city manager before spending three years as city manager.

“I’m really high on technology being a force multiplier for not just our police department, but for our regular working staff,” Carter said. “Because in the market today, labor is at a high premium. And the more I can get out of the things that we’ve already paid for, and the less labor I have to do, that means I can repurpose those people we have to do some more cool things for our city, other than just pushing paper around.” 

Carter said what appealed to him about Portsmouth is the opportunity to make a difference. Ultimately, he wants to leave a “legacy here that transcends” him. But in the meantime, he hopes to help the city figure out its vision through stability, consistency and a sense of calm through the storms.

Part of that comes from “protecting the brand.”

“It’s changing the mind of Portsmouth. Portsmouth talks bad about Portsmouth,” he said. “Portsmouth doesn’t have a good idea of who Portsmouth is.”

Some current initiatives include setting up a process improvement team, which will work to evaluate what’s working and what’s not. One area of focus is the city’s utility billing system. Carter also wants to improve the city’s leadership through quarterly forums with top city staff, including skill building opportunities.

“I’m trying to build better people, whether you’re at work or you’re not,” he said. “It’s difficult to actually have some consistency in how you perform when you don’t know what your next direction is going to be because it’s changing from day to day, from month to month, from season to season.

“I’m here to bring some stability to that and teach them how to do their job well, even if the head changes. I’m teaching philosophies that transcend who sits at the top.”

Outside of work, Carter spent the past two decades officiating high school and college basketball — an activity he believes has primed him for keeping a level head amidst chaos.

“(You) maintain your composure and make sure that everything else is going the way it’s supposed to go,” Carter said. “Even with my city council, I know they’ve been kind of tumultuous over the years, but I think one of the things that I bring to that position even is that I’m pretty level headed about things.”

Carter moved to Portsmouth with his wife, Maria. His two adult daughters live in Georgia and California. Away from the office, Carter enjoys amateur photography and said he’s read all of the books by John Grisham, who authored “A Time to Kill” and other legal thrillers. He’s traveled to 13 countries.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

Ultimately, city staff helped the mayor’s stepbrother resolve a sewer-related issue he faced in Nahunta, Georgia, while attempting to build on a 29-acre property, according to emails, memos and text message exchanges obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.

Though the city of Chesapeake doesn’t have a written ethics policy for elected officials, one council member and an ethics expert say the mayor’s actions at least raise a red flag.

West’s actions prompted calls for investigation at this week’s City Council meeting, though members sought two very different inquiries.

Robert Ike said at Tuesday’s meeting he’s formally asked the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office to independently investigate the incident. He also tasked the city attorney’s office with providing an accounting of all city resources used to help the mayor’s stepbrother.

“The bottom line is, the mayor used city resources for his own interest,” Ike told The Virginian-Pilot. “It would be very similar if I had public works (staff) come over and landscape my yard, plant trees and some shrubs, and didn’t pay for it.”

Council member Amanda Newins, however, appeared focused on finding how the information was leaked. She tasked the city attorney’s office with searching through the emails of former City Attorney Jacob Stroman, who assisted the mayor in 2022. She asked for a search of all emails Stroman might have deleted or sent to his personal email account before his departure last year.

When pressed by council members and a reporter on why she made the request, Newins declined to offer any specifics but said it was to “protect the city’s interest.” She asked for a report on any ethical concerns as a result of the search and actions council could take if any are spotted.

Even so, West, who’s been mayor since 2017, said this week that he didn’t view the request as unethical since it’s his job as mayor to help people with local government issues.

Reached by phone, Jonathan West, said he didn’t see the request as unethical since he only asked his stepbrother to check on legal options and “whatever was done was done on the city attorney’s behalf.”

“I did not ask him to do anything but to give me an opinion of what I could tell my stepbrother,” Rick West told The Pilot. “That’s all I asked him to do.”

___

The ask for help

Details of the mayor’s request to Stroman are laid out in a series of emails, memos and text messages that began Aug. 9, 2022, when Jonathan West emailed Rick West about the sewer-related issuein Georgia. Jonathan West said he was attempting to connect his property to the city’s sewage system but faced a sewer and septic tank moratorium in Nahunta — a city roughly 80 miles northwest of Jacksonville, Florida.

“I was going to see if maybe you could have one of your lawyers for the city take a look at it and see if this is something worth fighting for or if we are in a losing battle with the city,” Jonathan West said in his email to Rick West. “I have wasted a pile of money already if we are and do not want to waste another ($3,000 to $10,000) to find out there is nothing we can do legally.”

The mayor replied the same day that he’d check with Stroman. The city attorney texted the mayor the same day, telling him “we are happy to see what we can find out.”

Over the course of several days, emails, memos and text messages — first reported by WHRO — show correspondence among the mayor, Stroman and his staff tasked with looking into the issue, including current Deputy City Attorney Ellen Bergren, who typed up a summary on the issue and weighed in on relevant city ordinances.

On Aug. 12, 2022, Jonathan West emailed Stroman directly to thank him for the city’s efforts after learning the Georgia Department of Health approved his septic tank permit.

“Please let me know what I owe you for your time,” Jonathan West said. “If you ever find yourself in Southeast Ga I owe you a cold beer or two at least!”

“You don’t owe us a dime; we were happy to help,” Stroman said in a same-day reply. “I don’t get to South Georgia very often these days, but when I do, I’ll take you up on that beer!”

Stroman told Jonathan West he reached out to the Nahunta city manager and city attorney and filed a Freedom of Information Act request for that city’s relevant ordinances. Chesapeake staff also spoke with a Georgia Department of Health contact to help resolve Jonathan West’s issue.

“We shared with him our experience that in Virginia a local ordinance imposing a moratorium on new septic or alternative onsite systems when sewer was not available would be preempted (overruled) by state law,” Stroman said in the email. “I suspect that is what did the trick.”

Stroman also credited Bergren’s assistance, noting she was a utilities law expert.

Bergren did not return a call and message left with her city office. Stroman, who no longer works for the city, also did not return calls requesting comment.

The city doesn’t have a formal written ethics policy for elected officials, so there’s no specific provision that would deem the mayor’s behavior unethical or in violation of city policy. City Attorney Catherine Lindley told The Pilot that the Virginia State Bar allows the city to perform pro bono work. It’s not clear whether the mayor’s request would be considered allowable pro bono work.

___

Lack of ethics rules

Rick West’s request for his stepbrother came just two months after he voted against renewing Stroman’s appointment in June 2022. He resigned in January 2023, though plans were already in the works to terminate him before the option to resign was presented seemingly due to disagreements over legal interpretations Stroman provided at the time, The Pilot previously reported.

West is being challenged by sitting council member Don Carey, who is facing a divided call to resign from his current seat during his mayoral bid in order to comply with the city charter. At Tuesday’s meeting, he and council member Ella Ward pushed Newins to explain what prompted her request for an investigation into Stroman’s emails. At the time Newins did so, no mention of the mayor’s 2022 request had been made, and she told Carey to ask City Attorney Catherine Lindley what motivated Newins’ request. Lindley was not present for Tuesday’s council meeting.

Carey, Ward and Ike all voted against Newins’ request, but it passed 6-3.

“I think citizens should hear the purpose of us sending our city attorney’s office on what seems to be, dare I say, a witch hunt, for, again, God knows what,” Carey said at the meeting.

In Chesapeake, the city attorney is hired by City Council, so Rick West was considered Stroman’s boss. But even with the power dynamics at play, it’s still incumbent on a city attorney to notify his bosses that an action may be perceived as unethical or not allowed, said Frank Shafroth, director of Center for State and Local Leadership at George Mason University.

Shafroth once directed policy with the National League of Cities and said worked with elected officials in the city of Alexandria to craft ethics policies, though he said he was met with resistance.

“(It’s) a challenge because, in effect, you’re asking them to judge themselves, and I don’t think we ever trust someone to judge themselves in a way that is necessarily fair or unbiased,” Shafroth said.

But having an ethics policy on the books is about public trust, he said.

“(You) ought to have a code so people respect it, respect the elected officials and understand how a process works if there’s a question about or a challenge to an action taken by an elected or appointed city official,” Shafroth said. “(You) need one that’s enforceable, so the people know what the code is. They understand what the violations are, and they understand the process for a violation of that code.”

Chesapeake has an ethics policy for employees, but council members are only bound to a Rules of Order and Procedure, which Shafroth said was problematic.

“You can’t say there’s one standard for employees of the city and a different standard for the elected officials,” he said.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Ellen Bergren was the deputy city manager. She is the deputy city attorney.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

The funding — part of a multi-year grant to increase public safety measures in elementary and secondary schools — comes from the general fund of Virginia’s state budget as part of the School Resource Officer/School Security Officer Incentive Grant Program. The funds are prioritized for localities lacking such officers in their school divisions.

Chesapeake received $330,060 in state funding that will be complemented with a $160,590 contribution from Chesapeake Public Schools. For the current school year, eight officers have been spread across all 28 elementary schools. But at Tuesday’s meeting, Chesapeake City Council approved a request from the sheriff’s office to expand the program and allocate the state funding for six additional officers, resulting in one officer being responsible for two schools.

In a memo, city staff said Chesapeake school resource officers have handled 500 incidents since the program’s inception this year.

How much security do schools need? Hampton Roads ramps up spending.

Last year, the Chesapeake School Board also approved revised policies that would allow security officers to be armed if needed.

Portsmouth received $1 million, including a local cash match of $210,098 and in-kind contribution of $121,248 to support 12 officers for the city’s elementary, middle and high schools.

In addition to basic law enforcement training, school resource officers will be trained to respond to active threats and crisis situations.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

The funding is part of $126 million earmarked for 23 sites in the commonwealth as part of the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program. The program is a partnership with localities, utilities and state agencies to fund infrastructure improvements that help get larger sites operational for employers and manufacturers.

The Chesapeake City Council in 2022 rezoned the 1,420 acres, which were part of a tract of farmland owned by Virginia Beach’s Frank T. Williams. The rezoned property, which straddles the North Carolina line, has since been dubbed the Coastal Virginia Commerce Park, with city leaders hoping it’ll attract larger commercial and industrial projects once it has been primed for development.

Chesapeake Economic Development Director Steven Wright called the project “transformational” for the city. He said the goal is to ensure all the necessary utility services are adequate so the site can move to a tier-five shovel-ready status, meaning a company could begin developing immediately.

It’s not clear, however, how soon that will occur as the city will need to pursue additional funding to get there. As of now, Wright said the site is in tier three.

“(This) site received the largest grant from the commonwealth,” Wright said. “So we think it’s a clear indication that this is a very attractive site, and that with continued investment into the site, it will be even more appealing for companies looking to move largescale manufacturing operations to Virginia.”

Speed to market is a major factor for the competitive grant program, Wright said. The 23 sites selected across the commonwealth in this program amount to more than 10,000 acres of developable land. A total of 45 sites across Virginia have received funding to date, resulting in 3,720 jobs, according to a news release about the funding.

Suffolk received $3.5 million for Port 460 Logistics Center and Newport News $327,600 for Air Commerce Park East and West.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

At a quarterly forum meeting July 31, Police Chief Stephen Jenkins touted a 6.2% reduction in violent crime this quarter — April through June — compared with last quarter. However, he did note the city had at least one additional homicide this year as of June 30 compared with the same time period last year.

The chief also briefed City Council last month on the city’s latest initiative to combat violent crime — a group called Portsmouth United, a community-based violence and prevention initiative that includes city officials, clergy and faith-based leaders, law enforcement and grassroots leaders.

Jenkins said the goal is to address the root causes of violent crime by combining efforts and resources.

“It really is about building the ecosystem and understanding everybody’s role within that ecosystem,” he said.

The coalition will be tasked with identifying the people and places driving the violence and creating a plan to engage them with “empathy and accountability,” investing in key areas with workforce development and policing, and emphasizing trauma-based healing.

Jenkins said the coalition also will strive to place responsibility for violence reduction “at the top,” such as the Virginia Attorney General’s office, which has provided resources through the Operation Ceasefire initiative, for example.

Portsmouth also was one of three cities to receive state funding earmarked for implementing community-based strategies to address the root causes and conditions of violence. It received a $2.85 million grant as part of the Safer Communities Program. With the funding, cities are expected to invest in more afterschool programming and mentorship, education and economic opportunities, case management for mental health care and credible messengers and violence interrupters.

About $1.5 million of the city’s share is being dispersed to roughly 23 grassroots groups and individuals in micro-grants following a June application period. Jenkins said the city expects to receive another round of funding next fiscal year, which will allow for more micro-grants to other nonprofits.

Norfolk and Richmond also received chunks of funding for the same purpose.

Part of the grant includes the hiring of a coordinator who can oversee all efforts, including Portsmouth United, while looking for other funding opportunities and resources. Jenkins said the department is working to hire six violence interrupters who can use their “street credibility” to help build trust in communities most impacted by violence, mediate disputes before a law enforcement response is needed and work directly with youth to connect them to resources.

“The way you measure a lot of that is the absence of shootings, the absence of additional crime, the absence of things of that nature,” Jenkins said.

After those positions are filled, Jenkins’ goal is to get Portsmouth United fully functional by September and meeting weekly. He suggested fitting the City Council’s new Crime and Gun Violence Commission into the overall Portsmouth United “ecosystem.” That group was formed in October following a tense meeting between the chief and council members who were urged to take action, such as forming a comprehensive crime plan for the city.

“One person, one entity, one group cannot solve this issue alone,” Jenkins said. “Literally everyone that has a stake in the prosperity of Portsmouth and limiting the gun violence within our city should be a part of Portsmouth United.”

In April, council members appointed nine at-large members to the commission. Original language called for two City Council members and seven at-large members, but council members voted to have all nine seats be filled at-large. They are James Cullen, Jaylen Drewry, Sheray Patillo, Keith Rice, Lateacia Sessoms, Roger Smith, Eugene Swinson, Sherman Tyler and Sarah Wray.

Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke, who works with the mayor to make board appointments, said no council members have yet been selected as liaisons for the commission but should be soon.

Meanwhile, the city also is undergoing a Request for Proposal process to seek consulting assistance for formulating the city’s strategic comprehensive crime and violence prevention plan.

At the chief’s forum, he said the department is seeing a nearly 20% reduction in crime overall, including property crime. Officers have responded to at least 500 fewer incidents this year as of June compared with the same time period last year.

Jenkins said progress is being made to hire additional officers, with vacancies hovering around 63. He said 11 are enrolled in the police academy and another dozen are undergoing the background process.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

The filing comes nearly a month after a majority of council members voted to request that a judge compel Carey to resign from his council membership to comply with the city charter as he seeks the mayor’s seat in the Nov. 5 election. Carey’s council term will end Dec. 31, but Chesapeake’s charter provision calls for a council resignation by June 30, though it was established when Chesapeake held city elections in May.

The lawsuit, filed July 31 in Chesapeake Circuit Court, is a writ of mandamus, which is a judicial order that requires a government official to comply with the law. The petition details the timeline of events before council’s vote in July to pursue legal action.

It states that Carey sought City Attorney Catherine Lindley’s opinion in February on whether the city charter requires him to step down. Lindley noted a potential conflict between the charter provision and two Virginia State Code clauses that suggest no council member’s term may be shortened as a result of implementing a 2021 legislative change that shifted local elections from May to November.

Lindley advised they seek the opinion of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and alerted city council of the move in late March, according to the lawsuit. Lindley formally submitted the question to Miyares in early April.

Carey filed for candidacy in the mayor’s race in mid-March, which was notarized in mid-April, according to the lawsuit. Miyares provided his opinion May 30, which concluded Carey was required to step down by June 30 because he would be shortening his term voluntarily in seeking the mayor’s seat.

The city is being represented by Gary Bryant, Brett Spain and Bethany Fogerty of Willcox & Savage in Norfolk. Reached by phone Tuesday, Bryant declined to comment, citing the city’s policy of not commenting on pending litigation.

The lawsuit doesn’t include an attorney name for Carey, but he said he’s being represented by Jeffrey Breit of the Breit Biniazan firm, which has offices in Virginia Beach and Portsmouth. Breit could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Reached by phone Tuesday, Carey said he has no plans as of now to resign from his seat. He reiterated his previous statements, including that the legal action is political. He didn’t dispute the timeline of events as stated in the lawsuit.

Amidst several mayoral races in the region, Chesapeake is seemingly the only major Hampton Roads city to have a charter provision that requires council members to formally step down during their mayoral bids instead of after.

This lawsuit also marks at least the third high-profile legal action taken against a Chesapeake council member over the past two years. Last year, council member Debbie Ritter was sued over a public records dispute, but she won the case. Meanwhile, council member Amanda Newins, who was first sued while she was a candidate, was found not guilty of a felony charge and settled in a related civil case.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com