New safety measures show progress for Lynchburg neighborhood

Kenneth Tolley said he always keeps his doors locked and his personal items secure. The crime at Younger Park earlier this year has made him concerned about the safety of himself and his family.

"A lot of break-ins and we've had a lot of drugs and a lot of shootings going on," Tolley said. "It made us worry."

Monday night, Lynchburg Parks and Recreation discussed the improvements made since a meeting after the shooting in Younger Park and Maryland Avenue.

Some of it includes working with police to reinstate a neighborhood watch, training police informants, building positive places for teenagers and installing cameras and better lighting at Younger Park.

"We've got the peddle to the metal and we're not going to stop until we own our parks and we have our neighborhoods safe," Jennifer Jones said.

Tolley thinks there have been more patrols in the neighborhood since the last meeting. He plans to participate in the neighborhood watch and hopes people continue to band together.

"It makes the people that live around these parks, makes them more at ease of everything," Tolley said.