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Hopewell police report big drops in violent and major crimes, chief says
Summary
Chief Taylor told the council that violent crime and total major crime are down substantially compared with 2022 and year-to-date figures show continued declines; he also reviewed narcotics arrests, task-force activity and local staffing gaps.
Chief Taylor presented the May crime summary to the Hopewell City Council, saying violent crime is down about 39% year to date and down roughly 33% compared with 2022. "At this point, violent crime is down minus 39%," he told the council, adding property crime and total major crime also showed declines.
Taylor reviewed narcotics statistics across recent years and said the city remains part of a regional narcotics task force that includes Petersburg, Dinwiddie, Colonial Heights, Chesterfield and Hopewell. He said the task force executed about 40 search warrants in Hopewell over the last three years and that an investigator is assigned to work local cases.
On overdose data he said the city had one fatal and three nonfatal suspected opioid overdoses so far in 2026. He also flagged three non-building arson incidents this year that involved debris and trash and said they were reported under arson criteria.
Taylor outlined staffing and recruitment numbers: two vacant dispatch positions (one application under review) and four unfilled police officer positions with four applicants in background checks. He also described community-engagement events and recruitment activities planned in May and June.
Council members did not pose follow-up questions during the presentation. The chief closed by offering to answer questions and providing context for comparisons to 2022, which he said is the department's baseline year for measuring trends.
