RICHMOND, Va. -- In 2021, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney declared gun violence a public health crisis. On Thursday, he announced the first phase of his plan to combat the violence and it comes with a million-dollar price tag.
Crime Insider sources said if Richmonders thought the bleeding of manpower has been bad at the Richmond Police Department in recent years, the worst has yet to be seen.
On Thursday, Mayor Stoney and Richmond Chief of Police Gerald Smith announced grant money would be used to hire “violence interrupters” at between $49,000 to $68,000 per hire.
These salaries are higher than some officers make who have been with RPD for 15 years.
Richmond saw historic violence in 2021 with 93 homicides.
Mayor Stoney and Police Chief Smith said they will use $1 million in grant money from the American Rescue Plan act to stop the bleeding in communities that are being hit the hardest.
“Credible voices from places like Gilpin and Creighton, who are able to talk to their fellow neighbors and say, ‘hey, brother I’ve been here before. I've seen it before. And I served time because of it,’" Stoney said. “So how do I divert you from making the same mistakes that I made in the past?”
“These are the sort of individual conversations that we want to have sometimes organically and I think hiring violence interrupters is a great way to get it going,” said Stoney.
"We are looking to hire individuals who've walked the path and know it's the wrong path, so they can speak to those in the community, and as the mayor said, to divert them off that path," said Smith.
Their hope is that the "violence interrupters" will intervene before officers have to get involved after a crime is committed.
However, Sgt. Brendan Leavy, the president of the Richmond Coalition of Police said it would hurt morale. He shared the following statement in response:
It's a complete slap in the face to the police department. Regardless of whether it's grant money or not. The chief of police doesn't even realize how he just insulted his own police department. The chief of police did not consult with the organization (RCOP) that represents the most officers, sergeants and lieutenants of how this would affect the rank and file. More officers will quit now. The chief of police is driving officers away from the Richmond Police Department.
Stoney said incentives in the pipeline will help with retention.
"You talk to our officers and they will tell you it's not solely about pay and compensation,” Stoney said. “It's about the job they get to do and where they get to do it. And we believe we are still a competitive department here in Richmond. I still believe we have one of the best departments in this state and we can do better when it comes to meeting our officers and those who sign up halfway when it comes to improving their quality of life."
When asked to comment on the RCOP statement, Jim Nolan, Stoney’s press secretary, reiterated that salaries start at $49,000 and that no positions have been filled yet.
Mayor Stoney's press conference shared the following statement in response to RCOP:
RCOP's interest in seeking increases in officer pay is well documented, as is our commitment to doing so. We hope its leaders are just as committed to joining the rest of RPD, scores of city workers and the thousands of community members who are committed to doing everything we can to reduce gun violence in our community. As said by the mayor and chief earlier today, we are taking a holistic approach which not only includes supporting and recruiting officers but using evidence-based strategies to prevent gun violence.
