ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke's Peacemakers will soon patrol neighborhoods, looking to curb violence with a van in addition to canvassing communities on foot.
Everything that comes into Cuz's Autobody Repair in Salem for work leaves looking brand-new.  Â
"It needs some work. It runs great," said owner William "Cuz" Wooding. "Our objective is to make the van look more presentable."
And to make it stand out. That's part of how the group of volunteers hope a newly donated van can help Peacemakers be noticed.Â
"Our presence, our very presence, the presence of this mobile unit will be a deterrent," said Peacemakers founder Shawn Hunter. "If we can't stop, it it will be a deterrent."
Peacemakers are trained men and women who work to make the community safer. They focus on high-crime areas of the city of Roanoke, patrolling the streets on foot and soon with the new wheels, which were donated by Goodwill Industries.
"This van is going to allow us to become more mobile and to hit areas faster," Hunter said.
They'll be able to increase patrols at night in the soon-to-be marked vehicle with noticeable lights.
"We're gonna do all the dents, the rust and paint it up and make it look real real nice so when they go into the neighborhoods, it's going to be real recognizable," said Wooding.
Wooding, known by everyone as Cuz, says as the victim of a break-in himself, donating the work on the van is his way to give back to the community and support what Peacemakers is doing. Â
"It is such a bad feeling that it leaves when something like that happens," he recalled. "I truly believe that would be his guys are doing with the Peacemakers is going to really, really make a difference."
The repair and paint work, which Wooding is donating free of charge, is expected to be complete in a couple of weeks.