LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer discussed Louisville's recent rise in violence, the city's budget and the media Friday evening.
Fischer's comments came during a one-on-one interview with WDRB's Chris Sutter.
The mayor was quick to point out that the rise of gun violence is not limited to Louisville, but is instead a national epidemic.
"It's tragic," he said. "You saw on Wednesday of this week, President Biden did a whole national address on gun violence and what was taking place in cities all across America. And sadly, Louisville's story is America's story right now."
He pointed to the city's new budget as part of the solution.
"What you see in this budget that was approved last night from the Metro Council is record investments in the non-law enforcement side of public safety, so that we understand that it's not just the police officers whose job is to keep the city safe, but it's investments in prevention and intervention and certainly law enforcement as well."
The interview turned to an incident Monday night in which two people -- a man and a woman -- were shot as they were leaving J. Alexander's restaurant, near Oxmoor Center. Sutter asked Fischer if Louisville residents should be worried about the possibility of being shot when they go out to eat.
"I'd say no," Fischer replied. "Incidents like that are typically targeted -- they're not random-type of incidents. I mean, there's guns all over Louisville and there's guns all over America right now, but when you take a look at where most of the shootings take place, most of the homicides take place, they're concentrated in specific geographic areas."
Fischer added that everyone -- not just the police -- have a part to play in taking back the community from gun violence.
"For too long, people have been saying, 'What are the police doing about this?' Look, the police are overworked," he said. "We're asking them to do everything. So in this budget, we're deflecting and diverting calls away from the police that, perhaps someone as a social service worker can handle better. Domestic violence incidents, perhaps better handled by somebody else. Homelessness, mental health, etc. If they're dangerous, a police officer will go with them, but we are putting more resources to play in more areas outside of law enforcement."
Fischer tackled additional topics, and went on to criticize the media's coverage of the violence. To learn more, click on the video.
Copyright 2021 by WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
