Good morning………

Gun violence in Salem is indeed surging.

That’s clear from reporting we did in recent days on an unprecedented study commissioned by the Salem Police Department.

For you and Salem citizens, this warrants close attention. The community’s safety is at stake.

One key finding is that shootings have been concentrated in northeast Salem.

Another is the heavy participation of teens in the violence.

And the role of gangs, long kept rather quiet by officials, is irrefutable.

Our team laid out what the report said in an initial story. Salem Reporter also catalogued the key findings for those who want a quick sense of what researchers found.

We’ll be exploring aspects in deeper reports, including a story coming Monday on what researchers say the community should be doing.

That’s ahead of an extraordinary public session Monday evening. The Salem City Council, the Marion County Board of Commissioners and leaders of the Salem-Keizer School District meet in a rare joint session at 6 p.m. at the Salem Public Library. They will get briefed on the report, and our team will be there.

We continue to seek citizen help with our reporting on this topic. We want to hear from those who have been victims of gun violence, those who work with teens in the community and anyone with solutions.

As the report was being released, police arrested a McKay High School student, accused of keeping a gun in a school locker.

In other police related news, Salem city officials are considering whether to contest a jury’s decision to award $3 million to a Salem man. The federal jury found a police officer used excessive force in questioning a man suspected of being a car thief. He wasn’t.

In school news, Superintendent Andrea Castaneda went public with word that layoffs are coming in the school system in the coming months. Managing Editor Rachel Alexander has our exclusive report.

Salem city councilors have been hosting local meetings to listen to citizen concerns. Councilor Jose Gonzalez was the latest, as reporter Abbey McDonald recounted.

And we also published our monthly roundup of news from Salem’s neighborhood associations, giving you a way to keep up with information that matters.

Those needing public health services will have an easier time now that Marion County has opened a new central location. Reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian attended opening ceremonies.

EXCLUSIVE REPORTING FOR SALEM

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As always, thank you for reading and feel free to reach out to me anytime at [email protected] with ideas, questions or concerns.

–Les Zaitz, CEO and editor