COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Local community and religious leaders gathered for a meeting at Linden Library on Friday to discuss the city’s approach when it comes to dealing with community and police violence.

Mayor Andrew Ginther’s State of the City address is scheduled on February 23, and community leaders hope he speaks directly to their concerns.

Health professionals say a public health approach diminishes community violence and is supported by the American Public Health Association policy.

“Many of us in public health look at violence within the community and the relationship between law enforcement as part of an infectious disease process,” said Jessica Roach, a research assistant in the community health science division.

She and others want the city to invite people from the community to discuss issues concerning their neighborhoods. It’s something many people, such as Gregory McKinney, don’t see in the Linden community.

“The people in this community that own businesses should definitely be invited out and should definitely have a say so and a part because they’re a part of this community,” he said.

The House of Styles barbershop sees many of the issues in the community. Customers said they are rarely invited to the meetings, but they are often dealing with the fallout of community issues like the death of Henry Green, who was shot by a plainclothes officer in June 2016.

NBC4 reached out to the mayor’s office and they sent us this statement.

“As part of Mayor Ginther’s approach to keeping Columbus safe, he is already invested in an epidemiologist to track gun violence. Our goal is to identify root causes of gun violence and develop community-based prevention strategies and continue to strengthen the partnership between public safety and public health professionals,”

There is a prayer rally scheduled for February 23 around the time of Mayor Ginther’s State of the City address.