RICHMOND, Va. -- We all know the five homicides we've had in the city so far this year is five too many.
But did you know that's the second fewest number of homicides in the first quarter of the year we've seen in modern history?
The least number of slayings in the first quarter of the year was in 2013, when we had four.
Last year, at this time, we had nine.
The worst first quarter? 1997, when we had 40 murders during the first three months.
Forty compared with five. Think about that.
We've seen a huge drop in the number of homicides in Richmond. From the high of 161 in 1994 to the low 40s and upper 30s in recent years.
Why? I hit the streets to see what longtime city residents believe. You can hear their views in my video report.
You've probably heard my theories before:
- Better policing and investigating, with more help from the community. Killers are being caught before they can kill again.
- A shift from go-fast crack cocaine to the more mellow heroin.
- A smaller demographic of kids 15 to 25-years-old -- the danger years.
- Gentrification. Everywhere you look you can see new construction or remodeling, fewer broken windows and more people invested in their neighborhoods.
Yes, it's too early to count our blessings for this year. One bad month can be brutal. The worst was 25 murders in one month -- August of 1994, which was the deadliest year in Richmond since the Civil War.
Friends, consider this: In the past 22 years there have been only been three months without a homicide. Just three months!
Here's to believing we'll have several months like that this year.
As local resident Sharon Hammond said, all we have to do is lift one another up.
Believe!
