VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. - Virginia Beach is included in a new report that ranks major cities based on homicide rates.
A CBS news report put Virginia Beach 47th out of 61 cities that responded with information.
The report is based off information from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which represents the largest cities in the United States and Canada.
Virginia Beach is on the safer end of the scale.
There were 64 homicides in Hampton Roads between January 1 and June 30 in 2017. 11 were in Virginia Beach. The numbers were disturbing for some neighbors to hear.
"We walk around the communities feeling safe not feeling like we're in harm's way," said Michael Austin from Virginia Beach. "We take our kids--our little brothers to the park. We're just out here having fun."
There were 17 murders in Norfolk, but the city isn't counted in the crime report, nor are any of the other six Hampton Roads cities because their population sizes don't fall under the major city category.
There are 452,745 people who live in Virginia Beach, according to a 2015 census compared to 246,393 people who live in Norfolk.
"We just have to work one day at a time to make our environment safe," Judy Razon, a neighbor in Virginia Beach. "We just have to work one day at a time to make our environment safe. Let's start from our home, with our friends, with strangers. It will be safe."
