The Durham Mayor, Interim Police Chief and Sheriff gathered on Thursday to discuss violent crime in the city.

Durham had 42 homicides in 2015, almost double from the previous year, according to Mayor Bill Bell.

The police department is currently in the process of selecting a new chief but Bell said they were not going to wait to start making changes to reduce violent crime.

“It’s not going to be tolerated, we don’t tolerate it. We’re going to put a stop to it,” said Bell.

So far in 2016 there have already been two homicides in Durham.

Interim Durham Police Chief Larry Smith said in his almost 28 years with the police department he hasn’t seen violence this high.

“There is no excuse for this. There is never any excuse to take up guns and shoot people’s homes or shoot their cars for whatever reason that you may think it’s appropriate. There is never an excuse for it,” said Smith.

He said they have identified 19 individuals who they suspect are connected with violent crime. Durham police said they already have two of these suspects in custody. Smith said they are donating more resources to bringing in these individuals but would not give many details.

“We want these nineteen people who we know have a propensity for this type of violence to know that they aren’t just going to be able to ride around or go somewhere and step out of a car and shoot a house or shoot a car up, that law enforcement may be near them or already knocking on their door having conversations with them,” said Smith.

Smith said that the community is essential in helping stop this trend of violence.

“But we will have a lot more success if the citizens of this community, especially those communities that are hardest hit by this violence, will come along beside us and help us deal with this,” said Smith.

Community members were also at the meeting calling for more consistency from police.

Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews had some tough words for those committing violent acts.

“The people who are tempting you, drawing you into a life of crime and fast money are not your friends. A life of crime and killing is a fast track to prison or the cemetery,” said Andrews.

According to Andrews there are currently 50-plus detainees in the Durham Detention Facility awaiting murder charges.

But as Smith made clear, all of different law enforcement agencies are unified to stop the violence.

“Because we know that right now the city needs one mission and that’s dealing with the violent crime,” said Smith.