The city of Richmond has seen an overall drop in gun violence since 2022, according to the second report from its Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention initiative.
As of Oct. 31 in 2022 and 2023, the report found a 9% decrease in overall violent crime (944 incidents to 859), 23% fewer juvenile victims of violence (26 to 20) and a 29% reduction in nonfatal shootings (224 cases to 161). Police also seized 795 guns in that time. However, homicides rose from 51 in the first 10 months of 2022 (including five juveniles) to 57 compared to that same span of 2023; the report states, “There is not a definitive explanation for this increase” but notes it was not gang related.
The actions taken to stem gun violence dovetail with the city’s 2021 declaration that it is a “public health crisis.” The report lays out various programs aimed at reducing crime proactively. “While 2023 is still underway,” the report, issued in late November, states, “the city is both encouraged by the reduction of crime it has seen and motivated to work even harder to improve public safety.”
“We all have a role to play when it comes to reducing gun violence,” Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said in a statement. “We have seen the benefits of the collaborative Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention efforts with the reduction of violent crime reports and shootings year-to-date in 2023. There are many components that can lead to a safer Richmond, and preventing firearms from getting into the hands of criminals is key.”
The report also notes that the city’s real-time crime center, funded through a $750,000 state grant fueled by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, was on track to open last month, though RPD did not answer requests for comment regarding the opening date. Such centers collect private and public video feeds and analyze them with artificial intelligence, facial recognition technology and other software. The city contends crime centers “provide the centralized resources and technology that allow law-enforcement agencies and officers to respond to crime events more efficiently, deliberately and with improved intelligence.”
