NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — This time last year, there were 11 homicides in Newport News. So far this year, there's been four. On Monday, News 3 caught up with Newport News Police Chief, Steve Drew, to find out what's being done to keep the homicide rate low.
“They’re people, right? They’re individuals," he said. "Things that happen in the neighborhood to their families. So I never look at it as just a number, but it does give me a way to gauge on if our strategy is working."
Drew kept bringing up one word: Perception. He wants to change the perception of police through community engagement and the people they hire. By 2030, Drew wants his department to be 30% female.
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"How many females do I have in that class? How many men? What is our race there? Wow I have someone who speaks Russian, I have someone who speaks Spanish, I have someone that speaks Farsi," he told News 3. "That matters."
One of the community groups the department is partnering with is the Newport News branch of the NAACP. On Monday night, Drew held a town hall with those members and other Newport News residents, to get feedback for the department.
“We wanted to hear how the residents feel, what the residents think," said Jennifer Burgess-Brooks, President of the Newport News NAACP.
Burgess-Brooks is on the Use of Force Board for the department. That board is partly comprised of citizens, who are able to see the body camera footage from any arrest made in the city.
“And not only that, the officers are actually present" she said. "So they're here at the use of force, we as the board are able to ask them questions, we’re able to make suggestions."
Through improving this community outreach, hiring a staff that reflects a community and installing advanced technologies like shots spotters in neighborhoods, Drew hopes he will continue to see a low homicide rate and a happier city.
“It’s just being open and transparent," he said. "And I think that’s what makes a better police department, and community relations altogether."
Other changes implemented include hiring social workers for the department to work overnight, running a young adult police commissioners program for high school students and hiring a doctor to help train police on how to respond to instances of domestic violence.
