The Virginian-Pilot
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Keeping in line with local and national trends, homicides continued dropping in Hampton Roads last year.
Homicides dropped or stayed mostly flat in all seven Hampton Roads cities. Norfolk saw a decline from 41 homicides in 2009 to 34 in 2010 and 28 last year.
The figures exclude officer-involved shootings and other homicides ruled justifiable, so they might not match numbers the departments report to the federal government.
A Justice Department report last year showed the homicide rate in South Hampton Roads being half of what it was in the early 1990s. Homicides continue plummeting nationally.
The Baltimore Sun reported that the 196 homicides in 2011 in Baltimore - down from 223 in 2010 - were the fewest since 1977. Homicides in Washington, D.C., dropped to 109 from 132, The Washington Post reported.
Among cases still under investigation in Hampton Roads is the shooting of 29-year-old Andrew Cornelius Willie Jr. at a Virginia Beach club called After Midnight.
Police believe the March shooting was a robbery but don't have a suspect, Master Police Officer Jimmy Barnes said.
Another unsolved case was the shooting of Detwan Sims, 25, near his house on Harris Road in Portsmouth's Cradock neighborhood. Police believe the Dec. 27 shooting was a robbery attempt.
Most homicides in Portsmouth from last year remain unsolved. Detective Jan Westerbeck, who also acts as a spokeswoman for the department, said investigators realize the public may perceive that negatively.
"A lot of them have suspects or multiple suspects," she said. "We want to tell the family that we've come to a conclusion as soon as possible. However, we also work with the family to let them know that this is an investigation that requires a little bit more time because we want to make sure it's done correctly."
Patrick Wilson, (757) 222-3893, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com
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Violent crime is at its lowest level in 40 years
Violent crime nationwide is at its lowest level in 40 years.
"Violent crime nationwide is
"Violent crime nationwide is at its lowest level in 40 years."
Hard to believe that is the case given the chicken little screaming from anti-gun nuts on the left whom would have you believe that every day is the OK corral.
Enough of the anti gun nonsense
When the indians were using knives and arrows or tomahawks........they didn't need a gun to accomplish anything......from day one.....man has used whatever is easiest......take it away, the result will be whats left that is easier to kill with. The fact will remain that killing will not be lessened, it just become more personal. Killing with a gun is a detached way to kill someone. Society is becoming more brutal in my opinion and violent. Don't fool yourself to think that a gun is the culprit. It is man and he's pretty ingenious in finding alternative ways to accomplish his goals. I'd rather be shot than stabbed if given the choice myself.
Like the price of gas being lower this week....not for long!
This is cyclic at best. There is no better mentality towards taking life. The numbers will return to what they were in 2009 top it. Its wishful thinking, head in the sand hope that things have changed for the better. Reality is, there will continue to be murders and more of them. Think of this article about gas prices being lower......yeah, this week maybe!
Keeping Myself from Getting Killed
I gave up taking the bus down town so I wouldn't get killed at the Cedar Grove transfer station.
Homicides are up....
….in duh beach by some 7% from last year and Chesapeake by 8% (fuzzy math, it's early). We must look to our leaders for help.
Down 14% for the area
Happy now?
Another telltale sign
That the Fed doesn't care about right or wrong, only about control:
"The figures exclude officer-involved shootings and other homicides ruled justifiable, so they might not match numbers the departments report to the federal government."
In other words, for the purpose furthering our anti gun agenda, we'll take all we can get.
I like how it says, "related
I like how it says, "related article: Murder-Suicide rate rises", yet this is about how much the murder rate has decreased. Still very high per capita in Norfolk and Portsmouth.
questions about the data...
A huge point overlooked here is that the number of UNSOLVED murders has gone up a lot. Nationwide it has doubled over the last 10 years. Wonder what is locally. In the article is said that 1/2 of Portsmouth were unsolved.
Would like to know how the unsolved and open cases are reported in the stats? I remember reading that there was some number spinning with some cities with the unsolved cases.