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The Sanford Police Department and local pastors are inviting the community to join them Wednesday for a conversation about violent crime.

Sanford Police Department spokeswoman Bianca Gillett says the community has experienced too many homicides since February 2013.

“We’ve had 12 homicides, and 10 of those 12 homicides were due to gun violence. And so we know that it is something that needs to be addressed.”

Two children in recent weeks were victims in accidental shootings. A 6-year-old died after finding an unsecured gun under a couch and firing it into her shoulder.

The meeting takes place at the Second Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. It starts at 7 p.m.