Norfolk police report drops in violent crime for 2024; chief cites staffing and technology gains
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Summary
Police Chief Mark Talbot said violent crime fell in 2024 — homicides down 12% year-over-year and nonfatal shootings down 40% — and credited staffing increases, a real-time crime center and violence interrupters while acknowledging remaining challenges on call wait times and property crime.
Mark Talbot, chief of the Norfolk Police Department, told the City Council at a Feb. 25 work session that citywide crime declined in 2024 and the department is pursuing staffing and technology measures to sustain the trend.
"Crime fell last year in the city and the men and women of the police department deserve a % of the credit for that," Talbot said. He reported homicides were down 12% in 2024 and 42% from 2022; nonfatal shootings were down 40%; aggravated assaults were down 21%; robberies down 13%; and total violence down 18%. Talbot said the department achieved an 85% homicide clearance rate in 2024.
Talbot described staffing gains and recruitment efforts: the department employed about 540 sworn officers at the time of the briefing, up from about 535 the prior year, with a historical low earlier in the decade. He credited a 2021 referral-bonus program that has supplied roughly 40% of recruits since its inception.
The chief outlined technology and operational changes, including a real-time crime center (opened March 2024 and nearly fully staffed) and the police takeover of the city’s 911 operations in March 2024; the number of 911 vacancies fell from 36 at takeover to 19, with an anticipated full staffing near the end of the next month. Talbot said call wait time improved from 46 seconds at takeover to about 37 seconds and that this year the department has trended near 25 seconds; he noted the industry standard is 15 seconds.
Talbot also described a planned victim services unit funded in part by grants — a supervisor and three non‑sworn victim services specialists — and said the department remains focused on reducing juvenile gun‑violence victims and collaboration with Norfolk Public Schools and other partners.
Council members pressed for more detail and local context. Councilmember Page asked whether the city’s violence‑interrupter program had measurable effects; Talbot said it is difficult to attribute causation precisely but that the department believes the program provides additional capacity and that the city plans to expand interrupter coverage. Councilmember Johnson requested more school‑based presence; Talbot said the department has placed School Resource Officers under Captain White and that SRO leadership and targeted engagement with middle schools are priorities as staffing allows.
Councilmembers and the chief also discussed camera deployments, stolen‑vehicle reductions and recruitment efforts targeting military and federal employees. Talbot said some crime reductions appear connected to camera deployments and the real‑time crime center while also acknowledging pending litigation over camera programs.
The council and chief agreed that public safety is a top priority and that the city will consider compensation, staffing and equipment to support continued progress.
