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Richmond police report mixed year‑to‑date trends, say most Flock cameras reactivated
Summary
A watch commander told RNCC month‑to‑month violent and property crime totals fell but year‑to‑year property crime rose; he said the city worked contract issues and reactivated most Flock cameras, and officers are coordinating outreach for hot‑spot areas.
A Richmond Police Department watch commander (identified in the meeting as Lieutenant Patchen) briefed the RNCC on May 11 that recent crime metrics show mixed trends.
The commander said comparing March to April the city saw a 32% decrease in violent crime and a 40% decrease in property crime, but year‑to‑date comparisons show smaller decreases in violent crime and an increase in property crime. "Year to date, we are at a 5% drop in violent crime total," he said, and added that some property‑crime measures remain higher than a year ago.
He told the council that technical and contractual issues with the Flock camera program were resolved and that many cameras have been reactivated after council extended the contract and staff worked through details. The commander said police are coordinating a mix of outreach and enforcement in high‑traffic locations and are trying to pair patrols with ROC outreach so individuals who are unhoused can be offered services before enforcement actions.
Residents asked for additional patrols near a 7‑Eleven corridor and for speed enforcement around business strips. The watch commander said officers and outreach partners have been assigned to follow up and that beat officers are working with neighborhood groups to identify priorities.
The police briefing was followed by fire and public‑works reports; no formal enforcement action was announced during the meeting.
