PETERSBURG, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) returned to Petersburg on Wednesday to mark one year and one month since he first announced the "Partnership for Petersburg." The initiative's goal was to address long-standing issues in the city like crime, education, and public health.
The Governor said the last 13 months have seen both successes and challenges.
Speaking with CBS 6 during his visit, Youngkin emphasized the progress made within the past year while acknowledging the need for further acceleration of the program's objectives.
One of the key achievements Youngkin highlighted was the increased accessibility of affordable childcare in Petersburg.
A full-time childcare advocate is now in place, despite taking longer to staff than anticipated due to the creation of the position within the Department of Education and securing the necessary funding.
Regarding public safety, the Governor shared a notable achievement — a 33 percent reduction in violent crime within Petersburg over the past year.
However, one persistent challenge hindering investigations and prosecutions has been witnesses' reluctance to testify.
"There is now a whole resource stream in order to support witness protection for folks to come forward, and please, please, please show up at a court date so we can prosecute the bad guys," Youngkin said when asked if the Partnership for Petersburg addressed the issue.
Youngkin said the Petersburg Police Department was on track to be fully staffed for the first time in recent memory, demonstrating the commitment to enhancing public safety in the city.
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