NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot said violent crimes are down. But there is one crime on the rise throughout the city.
Car thefts.
Police said vehicle thefts are up significantly across the city, and unlocked cars make it easier for criminals to steal them.
Debra Mapp, 75, said car break-ins have become too common in her Broadcreek neighborhood.
"Late at night, they are checking people's car doors. They are even going up to people's homes to see if the doors are open. They seem to have no fear. I have cameras on the front and back of my house," Mapp said. "I see them coming through late at night, looking to see where I'm vulnerable at."
She said she would like to see a heavier police presence.
"I would like to see more community policing," she said. "Living in Broadcreek, we hardly ever see a policeman. People need to get out of their minds that 'snitches get stitches'."
In a meeting Monday night with residents who live in Downtown, Ghent and Larchmont, Chief Talbot said homicides are down across the city by 40 percent compared to this time last year. However, car thefts are up significantly.
As of July 15, Norfolk police said the city has seen 20 homicides in 2023, compared to a total of 34 in all of 2022.
As police departments face shortages across the country, technology is playing a huge role in fighting crime. Chief Talbot said a Real Time Crime Center will help police monitor video feeds in a centralized location so people can see what's going on in real-time.
"We expect it to be fully up and operational somewhere in October or November of this year," the chief said.
Chief Talbot said there will be sworn and non-sworn staff members inside.
"They will have screens in front of them to see all of the flock cameras and cameras. They will be looking at what's happening throughout public spaces throughout the city," Chief Talbot said. "It's going to be manned 20 hours a day so there are going to be very few times when someone is not actively paying attention."
The center will oversee cameras all at once, including city-owned cameras, license plate reader cameras and live feeds from schools and hospitals.
