Joines calls gun violence reduction a focus for Winston-Salem in 2023

Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines says reducing gun violence is a top priority for the city in the upcoming year.

Joines made the comments during his annual State of the City address before council members this week.

He began by discussing the economic growth in the region powered by new manufacturing investment, and how that impact could lead to opportunities in Winston-Salem.

But crime remains a problem. Joines says homicides decreased last year but that trend is reversing so far in 2023. He says efforts like the city’s Cure Violence program can help.

“What we were doing is hiring counselors to go into hotspots around the city, sitting down with young people and others to say, ‘Hey, there are alternatives to dealing with anger or conflict rather than violence,’" he says.

Joines says nearly 30% of the positions for sworn officers in the city are unfilled, and that has hampered the effort to reduce crime.