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Charlottesville police report declines in serious crime; fire department highlights EMS volume and accreditation
Summary
At the April 21 Charlottesville City Council meeting, Police Chief Cotchas reported declines in several part‑one crime categories and rising calls for service; Fire Chief Thomas described EMS‑dominant call volumes, accreditation and staffing updates. Council pressed for deeper data on racial disproportionality and shots‑fired trends.
Charlottesville — Police Chief Cotchas told the City Council on April 21 that the police department’s 2024 figures show part‑one crime down about 4% versus a three‑year average and 10% compared with 2023, with aggravated assault down about 13%, burglary down about 17% and verified firearm‑involved incidents down roughly 40% over a three‑year span. He said verified shots‑fired incidents are down about 30% and noted a substantial drop in homicides year‑over‑year.
Chief Cotchas also reported a jump in calls for service: 60,653 in 2024 compared with about 41,000 in 2023. He said use of force was recorded at a low rate (0.15% of calls) and attributed improvements to training, expanded community policing, crisis intervention team (CIT) work, a new psychological screening contractor and a newly formed use‑of‑force review panel that includes the executive director of the civilian oversight board.
The council pressed the chief on disproportionality in stops and use of force. Chief Cotchas said the department has shared data with outside researchers, including the Center for Policing Equity, but that some needed data (geo/GPS and older paper files) remain scattered across systems and will require consolidation before definitive local explanations can be produced. He said a Justice Department collaborative reform assessment is paused but that the department is pursuing internal reforms and additional research.
Fire Chief Thomas and a deputy presented the fire department’s annual highlights, saying the Charlottesville Fire Department is an ISO Class 1, internationally accredited, all‑hazards department staffed by about 127 full‑time employees. The department ran approximately 7,800 calls in 2024, about 64% of which were EMS calls. It reported 55 cardiac arrest responses with return of spontaneous circulation in 20 cases, 73 opioid overdoses (Narcan administered by crews in 71% of those), and investments in training (over 61,000 training hours).
Councilors applauded both departments’ community engagement efforts but urged continued focus on data to explain racial disproportionality, better tracking of shots‑fired incidents and refinement of metrics to reflect residents’ lived experiences in neighborhoods that still report frightening single incidents despite overall declines.
The council did not take a formal vote on either annual report; both were presented for information and discussion. The next step staff indicated is continued data consolidation and follow‑up with council on the Center for Policing Equity work and the status of the DOJ assessment.
