CHESAPEAKE
When City Manager William Harrell hires a new police chief this spring, he will hand off a consultant’s report – a blueprint for possible changes in policies, training and the number of officers.
Harrell also expects the new chief to have an aggressive plan for fighting crime in the city’s 2nd Precinct, which includes the South Norfolk and Indian River areas.
Two of Chesapeake’s most recent high-profile homicides – the Jan. 17 shooting of Detective Jarrod Shivers and the Nov. 10 killing of 1-year-old Ny-Asia Tillmon – happened less than a mile apart in South Norfolk, right in the heart of the precinct.
More officers have been stationed in South Norfolk in response to recent crimes. Around the time Tillmon was shot, the precinct captain
re-formed a street crimes unit that could focus on higher crime areas within the district. The unit has three officers and a supervisor and will get an additional three officers by March.
Longtime officers say there is plenty of room to improve public safety in the 2nd Precinct.
“I wouldn’t say it’s any worse, but I wouldn’t say it’s any better,” said Donald Nebb, a former 2nd Precinct and special investigations commander who retired from the Police Department last year . “We did some good things, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t think the police can do it all.”
Police Chief Richard Justice will retire in April, after 42 years with the department and about a dozen as chief. He said he hopes the consultant’s report will show that Chesapeake needs more officers across the board.
The city manager hopes to begin interviewing candidates for police chief this month and select a new chief in March. More than 45 people have applied.
Within the next month, the city wants to hire an outside consultant to conduct an operational review of the department. Harrell would like to see a completed report within 120 days. He has said he is open to making policy changes sooner, if that is recommended.
It is too early to tell whether the consultant will recommend more officers for the 2nd Precinct and others.
“We believe that the consultant will show what we’ve been saying all along: that we need more people to do the job more effectively,” said Deputy Chief Louis J. Tayon Jr., who applied for the police chief’s job.
The 2nd Precinct’s total number of violent crimes, which include homicides, sex offenses, robberies, and aggravated assaults, was 2,248 in 2007, down from 2,493 violent crimes in 2005, said Captain T.D. Branch, who commands the precinct. There were about 24,400 people in the South Norfolk area as of January of last year, according to a 2007 planning department statistical profile.
Two of the area’s most publicized shooting deaths have happened in the 2nd Precinct over the last few months. Tillmon was shot during a home invasion in the 3700 block of Bainbridge Blvd. Shivers was shot while executing a drug search warrant at a home on nearby Redstart Avenue.
“When you have tragedies like this, it gives everyone that uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomach,” Branch said. “That causes the perception that things are out of control, when that’s far from the reality.”
Still, Branch said the precinct could use more officers. He said he would like a community contact officer to respond to the precinct’s active civic leagues, two more officers for the street crimes force, and a permanent bike patrol unit.
The city’s success in South Norfolk could become a political issue in the City Council election in May. At least one candidate, Thomas H. Arrington III, has attacked the council’s handling of South Norfolk crime and police funding. Hiring a consultant, Arrington said, is a “long overdue” action.
Councilwoman Rebecca Adams, who is one of the board’s public safety liaisons, said she hopes the Police Department will not become a campaign issue.
“This is not politics and it shouldn’t be,” Adams said. “It’s too big for that.”
Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com
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Tackle the problem with CPD first...
Training and pay for the police is an issue that needs to be addressed first. An over agressive police force shows a lack of training. Hiring standards need to be raised along with pay, if there is problem retaining good offices it is because of pay and benefits. Take care of those problems, then handle the crime in the area. Right now, trying to "tackle" the problem is like throwing gas on a fire to put it out.
Continued
(ran out of room)
Back to the laws. Complain to your elected representative about the trival laws. We have many outdated laws on record, including ones established in Colonial times. Our representative apparently are not working on much the session, as they are trying to fix the "truck nut" epidemic across the state and outlaw aluminum baseball bats.
Sorry Jimmyjamz
If you are getting pulled over all the time, you are doing something wrong. It could be as simple as the display of tags, loud music, etc,
I travel through there all the time and used to live there. NEVER GOT PULLED OVER! Obey the traffic laws, and you will not get pulled over.
Items hanging from the rearview mirror is illegal. I failed a state inspection years ago for air freshner hanging from my mirror.
I have done several ride-a-longs in both Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. We did pull people over for lights out, problems with tags, etc. Once the license was checked, they were told to get the issue taken care of. One lady actually had the tags in her purse, found them when she handed her license, and we put the tags on for her.
In the beach years ago, a LEO hated jacked up trucks. If they looked the least bit too high, he would pull them over and measure them. A friend of mine was one that was pulled. His tires were too wide for the truck by 2". He had to put fender flares on his truck. He was never pulled over again. Trival??? Sure, but the law is on the books.
If you have problem, contact your representiative. Explain your side, and seems they
It is not rocket science people....
Can we tell the truth people? The Chesapeake Police department has to take a stand on City Council. Go on strike! It is simple. But don't wait around for the higher ranking officers to help because we all know they are just worried about themselves and not the officers under their command. Get together and make a stand. It is your life on the line day after day. What City of Chesapeake employee should make more money than a Police Officer?? I can't think of a single one. I don't see anyone in the Chesapeake City Council risking their lives to keep citizens safe.....
Very Correct Dupont94
Dupont94 you are so right in saying that if ANYTHING happens, that can be taken as bad or criminal, in South Norfolk, the address is left out and only South Norfolk is listed as the place the event occurred.
Virginian Pilot, be fair to the residents of South Norfolk, if the crime is on Border Road say the crime is on Border Road not South Norfolk. Even better clairfy which burrough all other crimes happen in, instead of just posting the street address....or do you want it to be percieved that SoNo is the only area of the city that has crime happening.
Shame on you if you do!!!!
Crime all over Chesapeake
Whenever there is any sort of crime committed in South Norfolk, the Virginian Pilot trumpets it all over the paper and website. However, should a crime be committed in any other part of the city, only the street address is listed and not the name of the borough. Why is that, Virginian Pilot??
Cooperation of the public is as important as number of officers
People have to look at the police as defenders they can trust or they won't give the police the cooperation they need to function effectively. Recent incidents have eroded that trust. (see TidewaterLiberty.com "Breach of Trust")
If the South Norfolk area is to be policed effectively, the unanswered questions stemming from the death of Det. Shivers must be resolved and procedural changes must be made so residents do not live in fear of being caught up in something similar themselves.
Trust of the police, and all branches of government, depends on transparency and honesty. When mistakes are made, they must be acknowledged promptly and corrective measures made in the full sight of the public and press.
contractorva
You are absolutley correct. I attended a town hall meeting in Hickory awhile back and questioned members of City Council about crime in the South Norfolk area, and a member of councils answer to me and I quote "crime in that area started a long, long, long time ago" end quote. We have incumbents who have been on council for 4, 8, and 12 years. How long do you see a problem getting worse, before you try to implement more funding and procedure policies to correct it. My personal opinion is that our council has been too laid back on this problem. Too much attention is given to gold shovel ground breaking ceromonies at the sites of pet projects that have nothing to do with the core essential infrastructure of our city. We must get back to Common Sense Politics and put public safety as a priority. Economic Development receives far more attention than the issue of crime in Chesapeake. A review, like I stated in the article was "long overdue".
ok let me tell you
i stay out south norfolk. there are way to many cops out here.
i get pulled all the time.for nothing. if the cops that are on the streets would do their jobs the crime out here woud not be so bad.
they let people hang in front of stores and bum. they dont have time to clean south norfolk up when all they are doing is pulling people and handing out tickets..o lets bust lil pot heads unstead of getting crack off the streets.
what a joke......
and let ryan out of jail.....
Police Department Policies Need Changed
How many times is Det. Jarrod Shivers picture going to be printed as a hero in a botched invasion and why is it the media continues to portray the young man who shot him as the "killer"? If my home were being invaded I would have done the same thing. What about the State Police chasing a motorcyclist last year driving on a suspended license? Worth someone getting killed? Too many gun-ho young officers letting their pride take over. Seems like their mentality is "I gotta get him". It's time these agencies take a look at their present standard operating procedures and review what the heck is going on here. Atleast 2 lives ended because of trained personnel not using common sense. Need to ask yourself is this situation really worth the chance of someone losing their life?
Retirement
The police chief announced his retirement last year. His leaving has nothing to do the recent events that have unfolded. His leaving is long overdue. He has done nothing but run the police department into the ground.
Hiring New Police Chief, Consultants, & Scapegoats
The city is going to hire consultants to review the department, but before one is even hired or named publicly, changes are already announced. IE the police chief will be replaced in March. Guess its like the Navy. If you are a captain of a naval ship, & it runs aground, you will never get another ship as a captain. Looks like the scapegoat is being presented, since someone will have to pay. Shame there wasn't any talk of reviews, replacements in personnel, or policy changes, when the toddler was killed, back in Nov 2007 if I am correct. A 2nd district resident.
City Council cannot hear....
and I don't know why. People in many communities throughout Chesapeake have been crying about the need for precincts to expand and PAY OUR OFFICERS MORE for years yet all efforts fall on deaf ears. Crime in Chesapeake is increasing - not just in South Norfolk.
I don't understand why there's more emphasis on raising teacher pay [many of whom need to be booted out] than appropriately adjusting police officers salaries to reflect their duties as public protectors.
p.s. Shame on this article lumping Officer Shivers death into crime stats. This, in my honest [and unknowledgeable about all facts in this case] opinion, was a double tragedy.
This is a serious issue
While I would not politicize any tragedy that occurs in any community, the fact of the matter is that these unfortunate tragedies’ have happened on a more frequent basis in South Norfolk. There is no getting around the fact that more officers are needed in the 2nd precinct and that our Police Department is understaffed and in my personal opinion underpaid. We have a retention problem here in Chesapeake and it stems from the salaries we pay our officers. These brave men & women who put their life on the line everyday deserve to be compensated accordingly. Right now they move to other areas where the salaries are more rewarding. Maybe, the only way to solve this problem is for someone to bring it out into the light, so City Hall will give it more attention. Like this article is doing. Crime is like a disease, if you are not pro active in stopping it, it will spread to other communities and become out of control. It is not out of control yet and I suspect, with an election upon us, it will get more attention than before. That's a good thing.
Crime in South Norfolk
Should be a political/campaign issue. Could someone explain to me why our City Budget gives 10 times more money to Economic Development than to Public Safety? Seems like our current City leaders are more interested in Business growth that Public Safety. When we attend Town Meeting we have to listen to Council Members cry about no money for extra Police, bicycles, ATV`S, Equipment, etc.. No one seems to be listening to the Citizens when they speak on this issue. This City needs to get its act together. Start spending our money on issues at hand, not on your pet projects. It is time for a change! Who will help the Citizens?
Crime?
To associate the death of Offier Shivers in South Norfolk with crime in South Norfolk is ridiculous. The accused was simply sleeping and his house was invaded by an overzealous police department. What followed was tragic! Again, it has nothing to do with the crime problem in that area.