TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa’s police chief once again met with local residents Tuesday to address violent crime and to hear the community’s concerns.

But even in the midst of so much negative, the chief says there are some positives.

If you knew Willie Carraway, you also knew him as “Big Kuntry.” His wife Niki Carraway says he was a hands-on father, worked in the community and loved riding 4-wheelers.

“He’s definitely looks hard on the outside, but just the big teddy bear on the inside,” Niki Carraway said.

All she has now are memories. Someone shot and killed her husband in August. He was hanging out with friends on North Nebraska Avenue. Police have not arrested anyone for the murder.

“I spent 22 years with him, and so I wake up one day and I no longer have him there. So it’s definitely challenging maneuver and life without him,” Niki Carraway said. “I want to make sure that his case gets solved.”

Niki Carraway has shared her husband’s story every day since the murder. She did again Tuesday at a violent crime forum.

“I hope that they’re hearing me, and I’m not going to stop until I’m satisfied,” Niki Carraway said.

Her husband is one of 48 homicides this year in Tampa. There were 60 in 2021.

“Tampa PD is taking this very, very seriously,” Chief Mary O’Connor said. “We’re working feverishly around the clock to make sure that these dangerous individuals are taking off the street as quickly as possible.”

O’Connor says while it looks like crime is up, violent crime is down this year. Non-deadly shootings are down almost 10% in 2022. She says they’re getting more calls to crime stoppers, and they need more of that.

“As a community, we have got to pick up the phone and call someone if we know something that can lead to the identity of a dangerous person that shot and killed a child,” O’Connor said.

The chief also recognizes trust is an issue in the community. Several Bay Area groups have demanded more transparency and accountability.

The City Council voted 4 to 3 not to give the citizens’ review board subpoena power.

“I can’t think of a scenario where we would not already have that video or that piece of information that they need, and as was discussed at council today, there’s a lot of avenues for the Citizen Review Board to be able to subpoena someone,” O’Connor said.

As for Niki Carraway, she plans to keep fighting for her husband and for justice.

“I don’t know if I will ever completely have peace, but it’ll bring me a little bit closer to closure,” Carraway said.