HAMPTON, Va. — Hampton's new Police Chief Jimmie Wideman told city council members on Wednesday night the city is seeing a rise in violent crime so far this year.
Wideman's presentation on crime in the city came after he officially started on July 31, succeeding Mark Talbot, who moved to Norfolk to become the police chief.
According to city officials, Hampton has had five more homicides in the first six months of 2023 than in the same period last year, amounting to a 38% increase. Wideman explained that most violent crimes are among people who know each other, not randomly.
“Random violence against innocent parties or random citizens is infrequent," Wideman explained.
Another significant crime is larceny, which the city said accounts for more than 75% of all serious crimes.
"Nearly 40% is theft (shoplifting) from an ABC store, and another 22% is items taken from cars," a press release from the city reads. "Police recommend not leaving valuables in your car and always keeping it locked."
Wideman pointed to what he described as a lag in reporting larcenies from affected ABC stores.
"There have been occasions when we get notified of a larceny that multiple reports are being made over a span of time rather than immediately after the incident," the chief stated to city council.
He characterized that as a hindrance to his officers making arrests linked to those cases.
Reached for comment in response to Wideman's remarks, an ABC spokesperson sent 13News Now the following statement:
"Virginia ABC’s focus is partnerships with local law enforcement agencies. No single entity can address the growing, nationwide problem of retail shrink. We welcome Chief Wideman to Hampton Police, and look forward to collaborating with him on this issue.
"Virginia ABC is implementing crime prevention techniques in our stores. Retail staff are trained to gather usable suspect information to help local officers in their investigations. As Chief Wideman mentioned, our security cameras are a key aspect of that information sharing."
In an effort to address crime, Wideman said the Hampton Police Division will create two community response teams to work in different areas, focusing on community policing and crime reduction. According to officials, they will focus on guns, gangs, drugs, violent crime hot spots and known violent offenders.
Wideman told council members that Hampton's rise in crime matches national trends, saying "Post-COVID, violence has escalated exponentially."
In a news release, city officials cited numbers from the Council on Criminal Justice, which state there have been 24% more homicides nationally during the first half of 2023 than in the same time period in 2019.
In the same analysis, which looked at crime trends in 37 cities, the Council on Criminal Justice noted that homicide and other violent crimes declined in U.S. cities in the first half of 2023, although they remain elevated above levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
And according to the data presented Wednesday night, people under the age of 18 make up roughly one-third of offenders tied to gun-related crimes.
"The sad part is, it's not surprising anymore," said BJ Estes, a Hampton-based community advocate.
Estes and Cheryl Pyatt-Carter with the nonprofit group Road to Justice are eager for a change.
"Giving [youth] some alternatives and showing them there's a different way for them to manage their emotions and their activities," said Pyatt-Carter.
Through community events and partnerships, Pyatt-Carter and Estes advocate for teens and children as young as elementary schoolers.
"We're trying to put more emphasis on the younger kids. The older kids are teenagers. We're going to do our part, absolutely. But, a lot of times when they are teenagers, they already have their minds made up," Estes added. "Don't look at your surroundings and say 'This is all that I got.'"
Furthermore, Pyatt-Carter is teaming up with other organizations to host a free Back-to-School Neighborhood Kickoff at the Langley Square Apartments in Hampton on August 25 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.