Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards told the Public Safety Standing Committee on the afternoon of the committee meeting that the city’s overall violent crime fell to 967 incidents for the year, below the department’s 10‑year average of 1,150.

Edwards said homicide fell 18%, robberies of commercial businesses fell 20% and individual robberies were down 59% compared with 2014 figures; aggravated assaults were down 2%, producing a 5% reduction overall in violent crime. “This is the first time that we could find in our in over 20 years where Richmond…had under 1,000 violent crimes for the year,” Edwards said.

The chief also reported that the department’s International (IBR) clearance rate for homicides is 88.7% and its year‑to‑date clearance rate is 56.6%, noting the difference reflects cases cleared from prior years. He cautioned nonfatal shootings rose about 5% from last year (200 incidents in the most recent year versus 190 the prior year) while traffic fatalities fell to 17, a 32% reduction from the high of 28 in 2022.

To address vehicle‑related crime and traffic safety, Edwards described several operational steps: continued use of a hot‑spot patrol model in neighborhoods with concentrated gun and vehicle crime; a second expansion of speed cameras (bringing Thomas Jefferson High School and Richmond Technical School of the Arts online); and a grace period that ends Feb. 26, after which citations will be issued. “We are sending out the warnings. The grace period ends February 26th where citations will start being issued,” Edwards said.

Edwards provided a site‑level summary of camera activity and cautioned some sites produce many more mailed warnings and citations than others. He said the department will review camera placement with Public Works and Vision Zero guidance and move units as needed.

The chief described property‑crime trends and prevention measures: a 10% decrease in theft from motor vehicles but 1,872 incidents involved unlocked cars; 540 firearms were reported stolen from vehicles (a 16% drop), and the department seized 124 firearms during a recent buyback. Edwards said the department seized more firearms overall (up about 5%) while seizures of so‑called “auto sears” — devices that convert semiautomatic pistols to fully automatic fire — fell 56%.

Edwards outlined prevention and community programming funded in part by grants: free wheel locks for qualifying Hyundai/Kia owners at precincts and events; distribution of 100 grant‑funded gun safes for residents who cannot afford them; and the third annual gun buyback, which he said removed 124 firearms from circulation. “If it saves 1 child from being injured, it's all worth it,” he said.

On staffing, Edwards said recruiting applications are up 9.6% and the department will graduate a large recruit class in May, but overall sworn staffing remains below authorized levels. He said the department is authorized for 755 sworn positions and its current count is 591; civilian professional staffing is 102 of an authorized 126. Second Precinct is authorized for 97 officers but was operating around 67, he said.

Public comment at the meeting included a neighborhood petition on speeding on Sims Avenue. Resident Mario Brandon said the street had “over 30 something accidents this past year” and urged automated enforcement or mailed citations, saying, “I recommend that we should put something out there, cameras…You send tickets in the mail. It works everywhere else.”

Committee members asked for follow‑up data on speeding citations and staffing for targeted enforcement. Edwards said the department has assigned motorcycle officers dedicated to radar enforcement in high‑priority corridors and that he can provide historical speeding‑citation counts to the committee. “We’re sending officers out there every day to write speeding tickets,” he said.

Why it matters: The presentation combined year‑end crime metrics with operational steps the department plans to use to maintain reductions in violent and vehicle‑related crime. The discussion also tied to resident complaints about speeding and to the city’s planned enforcement and camera deployments.

The committee did not take formal action on the chief’s report during the meeting; members asked for data follow‑ups and for the department to work with Public Works on camera siting.