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Is crime in the city on the rise?

Posted at 9:43 PM, Jun 22, 2013
and last updated 2013-06-24 06:43:36-04

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - Richmond police reported three shootings happened Friday night into Saturday morning.

One shooting happened in Richmond's Northside along Brookland Park Boulevard around 10 p.m. Friday night.

Police also responded to a shooting across town in the 1800 block of Albany Street that happened around the same time.

"It was so close to my house that - that concerns me because I have two small children," Lana Maccini, a Southside resident, said.

In addition, police said a man was shot on Chamberlayne Avenue, just right outside of Glenn's Friends Restaurant, around 2 a.m. on Saturday.

The shootings occurred within a four-hour period.  The shootings come just months after the city reported a significant drop in homicides.

In order to fix the issue, Mayor Jones said Richmond Police Chief Ray Tarasovic planned to reassign officers to areas where they're most needed.

The mayor urged the public to do its part.

"We could have five times as many police and it wouldn't negate the responsibility of individuals to be vigilante in terms of making sure they lock their vehicles - that they're walking with somebody and not alone," the mayor said.  "We're always going to do as much as we can with everything we have in our power to keep the people safe."

Residents we spoke to said they hoped the recent shootings were not a sign of things to come.

"We thought that maybe it was getting better," Maccini said.  "We heard people say it was getting better, but what we've seen it's really not."

“I would just like to see more, more officers because sometimes I feel there isn’t enough patrols," Ross said.  "There isn’t enough concerns for the neighborhood."

Chief Ray Tarasovic will present updated crime stats during the city council meeting on Monday.  It takes place at 3 p.m. on the second floor of City Hall.