08/13/2025
Fredericksburg's Violence Steering Committee will meet this evening to discuss the city's "homegrown gang activity," convening at the Fredericksburg Police Department this evening at 5:30 PM.
The meeting won't be open to the public.
Public Information Officer Sonja Cantu says that Fredericksburg is seeing "youth from specific neighborhoods or geographical areas in the city form ties and together they may commit crimes together from low level crimes like trespassing to higher level violent crimes."
According to a FOIA request filed by hyperbole, the Violence Steering Committee has held two meetings in the last year, one this year on July 9th and the other last year on July 18th.
The 39-person committee, which includes city leaders, school administration, parents, as well as faith and community partners, was formed in 2023, after the murders of local youth Jasiah Smith in March and Antione Fox in June of that year. Captain Rashawn Cowles of the Fredericksburg Police Department currently heads the committee.
The city describes the initiative as focused on issues that include "gun violence, gang activity, community and school safety, mental health, and family engagement."
It says that the group "discusses solutions to mitigating territorial conflicts, enhancing community resources, eliminating social media threats, and creating more positive opportunities and activities for students.
hyperbole spoke with two individuals currently serving on the city's Violence Steering Committee for background on this story.
Neither was aware that the meetings weren't open to the public, nor as to the reasoning why.
The city encourages citizen participation on its Community Safety Initiative web page, prompting "any community member interested in deeper involvement with the FXBG Steering Committee on Teenage Violence is invited to contact Fredericksburg City Manager Tim Baroody or Fredericksburg City Public Schools Superintendent Marci Catlett."
hyperbole asked the city how interested residents could get involved with the program if its meetings are closed to the public.
"The committee will be considering new appointment of community members in the future. There will be an announcement on the city website when this opportunity opens, which will include an application process," Cantu responded.
But one of the committee members hyperbole spoke with says that the Violence Steering Committee has been "dormant" in recent months. Prior to Cowles becoming Chair, that source says the initiative was led by both Baroody and Catlett.
Cantu tells hyperbole that while Captain Cowles is in fact the new Chair, "everyone is charged with being a leader to make this successful for the youth in our community."
According to the program's webpage, the Violence Steering Committee's Action Plan is labeled "draft form," having been last updated in December of 2023. The city did not respond to hyperbole's questions regarding if that was program's latest available Action Plan.
"While community involvement is key to long-term solutions, the scope is significant and the steering committee is looking forward to hiring a professional consultant to help guide the group strategically and ensure we make the most of available resources," Cantu wrote.
What progress has the Violence Steering Committee made?
In addition to reintroducing the Regional Gang Task Force (which sources say also went inactive for a period of time), the city received a $95k Department of Criminal Justice Services grant. Cantu says that will fund officer overtime for "targeted patrol throughout the city in order to target drug and weapon trafficking and use."
The data from that increased enforcement doesn't appear to be available yet: the most recently released statistics from the city list a series of traffic stops and arrests from a July 2023 memo from then-acting Fredericksburg Police Department Public Information Officer Sarah Morris.
FCPS unveiled new disciplinary guidelines, implemented a "phone-free" policy and hosted a Speak Out event for high school students and created a series of "We Are 22401" motivational videos.
Additionally, the city organized extracurricular activities in Dixon Park, added a mental health professional to in-school services from Mary Washington Healthcare, and established a local youth council with the Fredericksburg NAACP.
hyperbole asked about the relationship between the youth council and the Violence Steering Committee. Cantu would only confirm that the NAACP has representation on the committee.
Cantu was also asked about whether or not the group had coordinated any efforts with FailSafe-ERA, which has worked to organize a response to rising youth violence in the wake of the Old Greenwich shooting that left three area youth dead, all of whom were under the age of 20. Cantu responded that Captain Cowles has had previous conversations with the nonprofit and plans on attending their meeting. She included that a Failsafe-ERA representative may be invited to join the group in the future.
As of July 29, 2025, the full Violence Steering Committee roster is as follows:
City Government
Vice Mayor Frye
Council Member TBD - previously Dr. Tim Duffy (resigned December 2024)
Timothy Baroody, City Manager
Brian Layton, Police Chief
Rashawn Cowles, Police Captain
Christen Gallik, Director of Department of Social Services
Jennifer Casarotti, Acting Director of Parks, Events & Recreation
Scott Foster, Sheriff
Libby Humphries, Commonwealth Attorney
Lynne Seay, Commonwealth's Attorney Paralegal
Joseph Porter, Sheriff's Office Sergeant
Bradley Anderson, Sheriff's Office Deputy
Corey Dobson, Police Detective
Danielle Hicks, Court Services
Faith Based Community
Reverend Aaron Dobynes, Sr.
Reverend Joseph Henderson
Reverend Joseph Hensley
Reverend Keenan Thomas
Families
Marchellanie Ingram
Kisha Turner
Fredericksburg City Public Schools
Dr. Marceline Catlett, Superintendent
Dr. Matt Eberhardt, Deputy Superintendent
Reverend Jarvis Bailey
Vice Chair Malvina Kay
Mayfield Civic Association
Trudy Wilson
NAACP Fredericksburg Branch
Sabrina Johnson
Langston Carter
Private Providers
Xavier Richardson, Mary Washington Health Care
Allison Balmes-John, Mary Washington Healthcare
Kenneth Gantt, Youth Football Alliance
Rappahannock Area Community Services Board
Joe Wickens, Executive Director
Michelle Wagaman
Jacque Kobuchi
Rappahannock Juvenile Center
Carla White, Superintendent
Virginia Health Department
Dr. Olubenga Obasanjo, Director
Communication Team
Sonja Cantu, Public Information Officer
Katie Hornung, Schools Communication
Brenda Martin, City Manager's Office
Image: friends of slain James Monroe High School senior Jasiah Smith gather in his memory at W.L. Harris Park on April 2, 2023.
📌 Update (08/13/25 at 4:09 PM): Due to the potential threat of violence, the image for the article about the Violence Steering Committee has been removed.
That image, taken with permission and on invitation at a music video shoot, was published the day after it was taken on April 2, 2023, where it continues to remain.
