VIRGINIA BEACH, Va - The Virginia Beach Police Department on Tuesday held a briefing about how the department is handling crime and addressing staffing shortages. Robberies are up in the city of Virginia Beach compared to this time last year.
But it’s not all bad news. Officials said cases of aggravated assault have decreased.
Virginia Beach Police are adding ShotSpotter technology within two of their precincts to address gun violence. ShotSpotter is a technology that pinpoints the exact location of where gunshots are fired, helping police respond faster.
"We’re looking at three to five years of historical data of violent crime. That predicates where we deploy the technology," said Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate.
Neudigate said police are adding ShotSpotter in the first and fourth precincts of the city.
"We’re only getting a 911 call 22 percent of the time," he said. "78 percent of the time, we’re not getting a 911 call in these communities."
Currently, ShotSpotter is at the Oceanfront and in the Western Bayside area. Neudigate said 42 cameras have been installed in the resort area of the Oceanfront to address crime.
"We have anywhere from five to 15 million visitors," he said. "We don’t have enough cops to watch everything."
There have been two shootings at the Oceanfront this year. Neudigate said these cameras help police with their investigations
"Even though we have (a total of) 72 cameras down there, our very last shooting was only the second shooting in all year in which we had a second person shot at the oceanfront," Neudigate said.
Multiple people were shot at the Oceanfront on September 4th with non-life-threatening injuries. Four men were arrested.
"The second one was caught on camera by a business. They caught our suspect," he said. "Between our cameras and the business cameras, if a crime occurs at the Oceanfront, our detectives are really good."
Many Hampton Roads police departments are short-staffed. Neudigate said his department is addressing staffing shortages.
"We’re down 75 officers," he said. "I caution that does not include the 45 that are in the academy, because unfortunately not all of them graduate. If we do have a high graduation rate, we could, theoretically, only be down 30," Neudigate said.
The police department is recruiting officers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Police say 52 percent of this year’s applicants have come from the Tri-state area. It's offering a $10,000 bonus for certified officers who come to Virginia Beach.
"If you’re a brand new officer going into the recruit academy for the first time, it’s $5,000," Neudigate said.
