PORTSMOUTH, Va. — March marked the first month without a homicide in Portsmouth in more than two years.
The recent relief came as killings have soared in other parts of Hampton Roads.
Portsmouth’s violent start to the year is well-documented. At one point in February, the city had the most homicides in all of Hampton Roads.
But Portsmouth Police went the past month and a half without reporting a murder. It's the city's longest break in brutality in more than two years.
This isn’t to say March and April have been trouble-free. But the 17 people shot since the last homicide 9on February 27) all survived, making this the city's longest stretch without a murder since November 2019.
Despite the recent improvement, violent crime in Portsmouth is still up 37%.
Police Chief Renado Prince addressed the tough year during a town hall last week. He pointed to new community policing efforts that could help build trust and accountability.
Meanwhile, police across the rest of Hampton Roads investigated thirty murders during these past six weeks, while Portsmouth investigated none.