Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - At a briefing to discuss the city's crime stats, Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith says violent crime is up, but that it is only in comparison to what he calls the "asterisk year" of 2020. He says those calling Richmond unsafe should have been calling Richmond unsafe earlier in the decade, if the current numbers make the city dangerous.
Smith does say he wants the numbers lower, and that means addressing a few things, including stress in the population coming out of the pandemic, and trust in police. He says trust in police has taken a hit in the last year, and that they are trying to regain it through community policing and walk-throughs to show they are there for people.
The stats show that there have been five more murders, and about 62 more violent crimes, than at this point last year.