WASHINGTON (7News) — A pre-planned Ward 8 public safety meeting comes after a violent week that saw at least three deadly shootings in the community.

ANC Commissioner Salim Adofo organized the meeting and told 7News the goal is to gather community members and leaders to collaborate and discuss how to improve safety in Ward 8 neighborhoods.

"Public safety is more than just making sure police are on the scene," Adofo told 7News. "We've got sexual assault, domestic violence, we have to look at mental health issues, we have to look at safety for seniors. We want to be able to develop a comprehensive plan that can incorporate all of those things."

Raymond Kibler has owned My Three Sons Unisex Barber Shop for decades, and said he has to pay close attention to public safety.

"I was kind of surprised it was happening so rapidly in over a week's time," Kibler said. "I really think it's really important we get a jump on it because as a small Black business owner in this community, public safety makes a big difference on how I service my clients."

Last Friday, two teenagers were killed in a triple shooting.

Another triple shooting just days later, on Memorial Day, killed a man who had just completed training to become a violence interrupter.

The next day, on Tuesday, yet another shooting in Ward 8 killed a woman.

"I'm just concerned about the crime and the violence," said former MPD Assistant Chief Chanel Dickerson, who joined the meeting. "It will take all of us. It's everyone on this call and outside of the call, every adult's responsibility to ensure that our young people are given the opportunity to thrive."

"This meeting is definitely important to me, just as somebody who lives in the neighborhood, wants to see the best for the neighborhood, and is definitely troubled by the wave of violence we've seen over the last couple of weeks, said Charles Ross, a Ward 8 resident.

During the meeting, community members and leaders contributed to a shared document as they discussed ways to address recent violence.

"If there's any way, if you're involved in school activities, if there's something you want to see happen through the schools or library, please work with me," said ANC Commissioner Marcus Hickman.

So far this year, total and violent crime are down in Ward 8, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department.

However, homicides have jumped from 20 to 30 cases, compared to the same point last year.

"Public safety isn't just a response to a shooting. This is something we have to discuss all year 'round. It's a working plan, so it's not something once we come up with these ideas, then they're etched in stone. Some of these things have to be consistently refined," Adofo told 7News. "We looked at a few different things. One, in particular, is the mayor's budget. One of the points of our plan is to have residents from right here in the ward be able to testify on agencies such as DYRS, DPR, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, as well as MPD to be able to say, 'Hey look, we have these ideas for safety and we know they're going to take funding, so we want to see this in the budget.'"

In the meantime, residents like Kibler said they're going to be watching the progress closely.

"I'm expecting to hear great results, number one. Getting a grip on it and getting in front of it right now plays a big part," Kibler said. "It's a work in progress. I see a work in progress. If we stay consistent, we can clean up a lot more."