To the Editor:
Prior to the deadly shooting of Mr. Elliot-Tibbs last week, residents of Alexandria had been hearing shots fired throughout the city. Some residents mistook these shots as firecrackers when in fact they were gunshots, according to Alexandria Police. The firing of shots in our city and the culmination of Mr. Elliot-Tibbs losing his life has raised great concerns about safety and the quality of life throughout Alexandria. As a U.S. Air Force veteran, I commend our police force for doing a diligent job in not only doing everything that they can to find those responsible for the death of Mr. Elliot-Tibbs, but for also keeping our community abreast of what is happening in our city.
I live and walk to work in Alexandria. While I feel safe in our city, the increase in crime is concerning to me and my growing family. I am not alone in this sentiment, as there were over 50 residents that expressed the same concerns during the community meeting. I strongly feel that as residents of Alexandria, we need to do our part in policing our neighborhoods. If you see or hear suspicious activity, say something. We need to work together with our city police to strengthen our communities not only for ourselves and our neighbors, but for our future generations.
Having a strong and united community not only raises our city’s safety but it also attracts entrepreneurs which helps grow our city’s economy. Growing our city’s economy will allow city officials to properly equip our police force with all the tools necessary to keep our residents safe. A city cannot work with limited resources, much less our police force. By ensuring that we have a strong community, economy and robust city services, we will be able to increase our quality of life and prevent incidents where our youth are losing their lives.
As a resident of Alexandria, I was proud to see the presence of several Alexandria residents during the community meeting this past Monday. The consensus of the meeting is that we need to work together to keep our community safe regardless of the socioeconomics. We all take pride in being residents of Alexandria and when a tragedy like this happens, we should all stand up for the safety of our community.
Fernando Torrez
City Council candidate