LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- With crimes involving juveniles increasing across the city, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said finding a solution remains one of his top priorities.

Surveillance cameras capturing young people on the streets with guns is an ever-growing problem in the city.

"It's totally unacceptable. It's scary, and I understand people's fear and concern when they see this happening in their neighborhood that they either work in or they live in or where they visit," Greenberg said.

Records obtained by WDRB News show at least 40 juveniles have been involved in violent crime since the beginning of the year. It's a problem the mayor said doesn't have an overnight fix.

"We need more police officers to help us with it, but we can't wait," Greenberg said. "And so that's why, when there are issues like this, we are gonna respond quickly."

Video taken from surveillance cameras in Butchertown over the past month shows several instances of people shooting up and down various streets, including Franklin Street and outside Vendome Copper & Brass Works. 

Such activity happening near Louisville's Dave Armstrong Extreme Park, also in Butchertown, has caused the skate park to adjust its hours in an effort to put a stop to an increase in crime.

In June, police arrested two teenagers who LMPD said were trying to conceal AR-style weapons while at the skate park.  

Police have not confirmed whether or not people shown in the videos are the same individuals who were arrested.

Louisville skate park surveillance

Surveillance video captured in Louisville's Butchertown neighborhood shows teens with assault weapons.

"You can't look at a video like that and not say guns are part of the problem," said Greenberg. "Look at the weapons that those kids have in their hands. In Louisville, Kentucky, to think that kids are carrying around assault weapons, firing them 'willy nilly' is totally unacceptable."

The mayor said he's working with the Louisville Metro Police Department and the owners of Vendome Copper & Brass to install more cameras in the area, and have more police patrols to ensure instances like these don't happen again.

Neighbors previously told WDRB News a bullet went through a nearby home, barely missing a baby's crib. 

When asked what he had to say to neighbors who are scared at night, Greenberg said "I understand the fear."

"As someone who had six gunshots fired directly at me from 15-feet away, and I feel the same good fortune that I'm sure that family is feeling," he said. "I know the feeling of escaping death and the fear that that brings, and how that changes your perspective on life."

But, Greenberg said, he can't do it alone. He continues to ask for help from state and federal lawmakers.

"Give us in Louisville more tools, so we can crack down on this type of illegal gun use," he said. "It is totally unacceptable in our city, and I want our administration to do everything that we know that we can do to end this, but we do need some help."

In the meantime, he hopes programs like Group Violence Intervention will be just one of the short-term solutions to a growing problem.

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