RICHMOND, Va. — Shockoe Bottom has been a focus for Richmond Police this year following a series of shootings and violent incidents when large crowds gather in the area, according to a presentation by the Police Chief Tuesday night.
Residents say police have been hard to miss on weekends.
“I be out on the weekends and it feels nice. You can go wherever you want to go,” Marcus Woods said. “It’s been pretty smooth.”
While some welcome the extra patrols, others who have lived in the neighborhood for decades remain skeptical.
“Instead of blocking off the streets they would be better just walking around,” one resident said.
“I lived through it in the 90s,” said a man named Ike. “Once they brought Project Exile in with all the guns it cleared the streets up a whole lot. You get caught with a gun, any gun, 5 years in penitentiary... they have no repercussions about worrying of going to jail.”
Police Chief Rick Edwards told City Council on Tuesday that while cooler weather has thinned crowds, keeping Shockoe safe remains an uphill battle. That’s why his department mandated overtime this summer for four officers each weekend night, resulting in about a dozen officers patrolling Shockoe Bottom every Friday and Saturday night.
Edwards pointed to an April incident where officers broke up a fight, only for the same group to return an hour later with an AR-15. Police arrested the suspect before shots could be fired.
“We narrowly avoided something that night but those type of examples happen often,” Edwards said.
He added that guns in crowds make situations even more dangerous.
“They think of that gun as a shield and often times it’s a magnet because it’s drawing attention and people will try you with that,” Edwards said. “And if you’re carrying a firearm, you can’t get into a fight with a normal person, because it can easily escalate to gun fire.”
Two people have been murdered in Shockoe Bottom in 2025. One of them died still holding a gun. And in May, a city employee driving a trash truck was shot.
“Thankfully he is recovering, but this was a completely innocent victim caught up at the wrong place, wrong time,” Edwards said.
Data shows Shockoe leads the city in gun thefts and weapons violations.
"More often than not, it's people coming in from out of town,” City Councilwoman Sarah Abubaker said. "How do we say to people, spend your money here but don't bring your gun?"
City leaders are now considering creating an entertainment overlay district, which would be a gun-free zone giving officers more authority.
While no decisions were made Tuesday, Edwards said his department will continue focusing on Shockoe and other parts of the city where large crowds and open carry can quickly escalate violence.
“I always try to remind people that owning a firearm, possessing a firearm, carrying a firearm is a huge responsibility too, and pushing that message that it’s not necessarily making you safer,” Edwards said.
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