NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot says when it comes to fighting crime, the police department is doing "really well."
Chief Talbot touted the latest crime statistics before City Council Tuesday afternoon.
Violent crime overall is down 28% year over year.
“Residents are saying they feel safer," Chief Talbot said. "They feel safer in daytime and at nighttime."
Homicides are down 20%, non-fatal shootings plunged 50%, and robberies dropped 23%.
But there is one area that still needs work.
“Property crime is down 7%," Chief Talbot said, "Although larcenies, we’re still experiencing an elevated rate of larceny largely driven by ABC stores."
In Norfolk this year, overall crime is down 10% percent.
And it's caught the mayor's attention.
"We must continue to drive crime out of the City of Norfolk," Mayor Kenny Alexander said. “Let’s keep moving the needle further, further, further down.”
Much of the country is seeing similar success to Norfolk.
Brand-new FBI data released Monday shows murders nationwide dropped 12% last year.
Experts say that's the largest one-year decline on record.
"Murder is falling faster than ever before recorded in the United States," wrote crime data analyst Jeff Asher.
The drop in homicides this year in Norfolk is noteworthy, but could use some further context.
From 2010-2019, Norfolk averaged 34 homicides a year.
A spike in violent crime nationwide in 2020 pushed Norfolk homicides up to an average of 54 homicides a year from 2020-2023.
There have been 26 homicides so far this year in Norfolk, compared to 32 this time last year, and 51 in 2022. Norfolk in 2022 recorded the most homicides since the late 90s.