Gainesville Police working to address gun violence

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - The Gainesville Police Department is working on a plan to address a rise in gun violence around the city.

Officers say more than 20 gun-related incidents have happened since the start of 2019 across the city, including a shooting at a convenience store in April that was caught on camera.  Officers say they are continuing to see a rise in gun-related crimes and want to make a major change.

"There seems to be a pattern here, where people at some point in a disturbance get to the point where they decide they need to pull a firearm out and start shooting," said Jorge Campos, GPD acting chief inspector.

The department is looking at several options to improve community safety, including hiring new police service technicians and more officers.