NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk has one of the highest increasing homicide rates in the entire country, according to a new study by WalletHub.
Norfolk is on pace for its deadliest year since the early 1990s, according to historic FBI data.
13NewsNow records show 53 people have been killed this year in the city. All but two of the victims were shot.
The 53 killings is already well above Norfolk’s average of 39 homicides a year for the past decade, according to previous data.
Now the violence is capturing the attention of residents, politicians and researchers.
WalletHub looked at third quarter homicide rates for the nation’s largest cities.
It found Kansas City had the highest increase in homicide rates, followed by Detroit and St. Louis.
Norfolk ranked number 8, and two other Hampton Roads cities also made the grim list.
Virginia Beach and Chesapeake ranked 34th and 49th, respectively, among major cities with rising homicide rates.
For context, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake Police Departments have reported fewer than 20 homicides this year. However, this study is comparing the homicide rate, not merely the number of murders.
Just this week, Governor Glenn Youngkin picked Norfolk as his strategic location to announce a new statewide plan to reduce crime. The city’s mayor, interim police chief and sheriff stood close by.
The City of Norfolk has plans of its own. It launched a webpage earlier this month detailing plans, both near and long-term, to fight crime.
Information regarding methodology: In order to determine which cities have the biggest homicide problems, WalletHub compared 50 of the largest U.S. cities based on per capita homicides in Q3 2022, as well as per capita homicides in Q3 2022 vs. Q3 2021 and Q3 2020.