NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News had a record-breaking deadly year in 2023. Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said there were 45 homicides across the city, 10 of which happened in August alone.
There were two additional deadly shootings on interstates within Newport News. While they fall under the jurisdiction of Virginia State Police, Drew noted that those homicides are typically attributed to city totals.
"That was the largest number of homicides we've ever incurred in our city," Drew said.
He said his department worked countless hours to get justice for the victims and their loved ones left behind.
"I think we had 16 or 17 homicide trials last year," Drew said. "All of those resulted in convictions."
Meanwhile, other cases grow cold as investigators continue searching for leads.
"There are probably five cases right now, just off the top of my head, we know witnesses saw them, but they don't want to come forward," Drew said. "Those first 24, 48, 72 hours are so critical."
He said it's important to remember that there are people and families forever changed behind each deadly shooting.
"It also affects that neighborhood. It affects the officers who investigate these cases," Drew said. "It's not a video game, right? You can't hit 'pause' and start over. That's a real life."
The Newport News Police Department (NNPD) ended 2023 with 45% of homicide cases solved.
So far this year, Chief Drew said the troubling trend is going down.
"This time last year, the city had eight homicides," Drew said. "And today, currently, we have three. So, we're seeing about a 62% decrease in homicides this year."
"By the grace of God, a lot of prayer, a lot of hard work, but a holistic approach — we've gotten off to a very good start," Drew said. "We were in a different place this time last year."
The city is also seeing about a 45% drop in non-deadly shootings in the first quarter of 2024.
Chief Drew credits the downward trends to police strategies that have been in place since homicide totals peaked last summer. The department continues to work to target high-crime areas, expand its narcotics and gang divisions, partner with other agencies and community organizations, and utilize new technology.
"If you were looking at a chart and graph, you would look at our shootings and our homicides. And then, you would see the fourth quarter really dropped out," Drew said. "And I think we're still getting some of the residual effects of that while going into this year."
Those efforts, however, take manpower — which is currently down for NNPD.
Chief Drew said the department currently has about 40 vacancies, and work is underway to fill those spots through recruitment events and police academies.
"We have a class of 23 [that] graduated on Friday of last week," Drew said. "We have a class of 18 that will graduate [at]the end of June, first of July. And we're now seating the new class that will start in April, and our goal is to have about 20 in that class."
Drew said it's not only important to secure new hires but to also find the right recruits to join the force.
"If you care about people, and I think your heart and mind are lined up in the right place, that's what we're looking for to join the organization," Drew said.
People interested in a career with Newport News police are invited to a one-day recruiting event for officers and dispatchers. It runs from 8:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 30, at the police department at 9710 Jefferson Avenue.
Advance registration is recommended, but not required. You can sign up online here.
In the meantime, Chief Drew said reducing the number of shootings and homicides across the city remains NNPD's top priority.