Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams spoke Tuesday night about the violent crime among young people during the State of the City address.

“I just don’t want to see our young people’s lives cut short,” Williams said before a crowd at the Durham Performing Arts Center. “When I talk about violence reduction, I’m not talking about statistics. I’m talking about families and neighbors.

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“I’m talking about children who deserve to grow up without fear. This is not abstract to me. This is actually very personal.

“The people doing the shooting and the people mostly getting shot, they look like me. I’ve said that publicly before. I’ll say it again tonight because I think it matters. It’s not just policy. It’s pain that I refuse to become numb to, and that is why I refuse to give up.”

Williams said addressing violent crime deserves “raw, honest truth.”

“Violent crime cannot be solved on social media,” Williams said. “It cannot be solved by tearing those of us down who are in a position to allocate resources. That doesn’t mean you don’t come at us and pressure us, but it does mean that the power of our collective is more than enough to get the job done.”

Williams said the city would work with local and national experts to reduce violent crime. He also mentioned a summit scheduled for the summer to devise a plan.

“Every life in this city matters, and every act of prevention matters, and as long as I’m in this seat, I’m not going to stop,” Williams said.

Watch: Durham mayor delivers 2026 State of the City address

Durham’s violent crime went down in 2025 compared to the year before, according to the city’s fourth quarter crime report.

It comes as Durham held several community events focused on reducing violence, including a virtual session on Feb. 24 and two in-person events on March 13 and March 20.

Through mid-February, city data showed 22 people had been shot in Durham in 2026. It included seven people shot from Feb. 12-19.

On Tuesday, Durham resident Khadijah Jabbarkhel told WRAL News that gun violence is a personal issue to her. She said she saw a drive-by shooting a few weeks ago.

“I witnessed a drive-by and kids were playing outside and any of them could've gotten shot,” Jabbarkhel said. “Like every adult says, a bullet has no name.”

In February, Williams said the city of Durham is working with the Violence Reduction Center at the University of Maryland.

In previous months, Williams has outlined several initiatives the city has tried to implement to reduce crime, including:

“Violent crime cannot be solved on social media,” Williams said on Tuesday night. “It cannot be solved by tearing those of us down who are in a position to allocate resources.

“That doesn’t mean you don’t come at us and pressure us, but it does mean that the power of our collective is more than enough to get the job done.”

On Tuesday, Williams paid tribute to Police Chief Patrice Andrews, who is retiring on May 1 after a combined 25 years of service to the Durham Police Department.

“She is working tonight,” Williams said of Andrews. “And, she said, ‘Mayor, don’t call me out.’

“So, I’d like to call her out and thank her for her service. She will be retiring within the next week. I’m just so grateful, so grateful for what she’s contributed to this community.”

Leonardo Williams outlines plan to end homelessness in Durham

Williams also outlined a plan to end homelessness in Durham during Tuesday night’s State of the City Address.

“By June 2031, homelessness in Durham will be rare and brief for everyone experiencing it,” Williams said.

Williams said a $13 million investment is needed.

“We are already having conversations to raise this capital,” Williams said.

Williams said the first-year target is to raise $5 million to:

  • Reduce homelessness among families by 10%
    • Among youth and young adults by 50%
      • Among veterans by 30%
        • Among people living unsheltered by 30%

          “We have a lot of work to do,” Williams said. “It’s ambitious, but I know that we’re going to get there.”

          Other parts of Durham’s State of the City address

          Williams said the city of Durham won a $175,000 grant to address food insecurity. The money is provided by the Nutrition Access, Affordability and Education Grant Program, which is powered by the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America. 

          “We have to acknowledge that it is not evenly distributed,” Williams said of food insecurity. “It’s not comfortable to say it out loud, but it is true.”

          Williams brought up representatives from Black Farmers Market, Durham Co-Op Extension, Everyone East Durham and Meals on Wheels. The organizations will receive the grant money.

          Williams also awarded four organizations each with $7,500 "no strings attached" for their contributions to the city. It included the BlackSEL Dangers Of The Mind Education Fund, Vault Theatre, Kind Kitchen Group and World Relief Durham.

          “The reason why we are identifying organizations and investing directly into them is because they are doing the life-saving work of saving our young people," Williams said. "Each one of these organizations [is] engaging young people at a very high capacity and making them the leaders that we need to see tomorrow.

          “And if that's what you're going to do, then dang it, this mayor is going to invest in you.”

          Williams mentioned a 2025 WalletHub report that found the Durham-Chapel Hill metro as the second-most educated population in America. The Raleigh metro ranked a few spots behind at No. 6.

          “The best things happening in Durham right now are because of the partnerships we have,” Williams said.

          Williams added, “Who is this city for? That’s what I keep asking myself morning after morning [and] decision after decision.”

          Williams mentioned:

          • Families who have lived in Durham for multiple generations.
            • Someone who grew up in the Bull City, went to college and wants to stay to “build something meaningful.”
              • People who just arrived in Durham, and are still trying to figure it out.

                Higher education in Durham

                Williams mentioned the importance of Duke University, North Carolina Central University and Durham Technical Community College.

                Williams spoke about Duke’s HomeGrown program, which provides $203 million over the next three years to the Durham and Triangle community to help people get better jobs, provide more opportunities for local businesses and make it easier for families to stay in the community.

                Williams also said Duke is providing $120 million in construction work throughout the Durham area. He said two-thirds of the money is for minority and women-owned contractors.

                Williams also said Durham has increased spending by tens of millions of dollars at local businesses.

                Williams discussed the benefits of the North Carolina Central University’s Vision 2030 plan, and sending law school graduates to jobs in the court system.

                On Tuesday, Williams also praised Durham Technical Community College, calling it a “workforce engine.”

                “Durham Tech is making sure that the employers that we recruit to this community, they are a partner with them, they are an upscaling partner with our county colleagues and the city to make sure we have the Bulls’ Initiative, to where when you talk about affordable living [and] affordable housing, we are pushing for affordable living,” Williams said. “We’re making sure that not only can you afford to where you live, but your dollar stretches further.”

                Williams, who is a small business owner himself, also thanked small business owners and entrepreneurs in the city.

                “You are not just part of this city, you helped build it,” Williams said. “You’re the backbone from Black Wall Street to today.”