RICHMOND, Va. -- It hasn't even been a week since Caressa Jennings' brother, Michael Miner was shot and killed at a Richmond night club on Nine Mile Road.
"It's like a physical feeling of your heart breaking," said Jennings.
Miner's killer still hasn't been caught. He was the victim of the City's 33rd homicide this year.
Compare that to last year at this time, when Richmond had 20 homicides, according to data.
As an activist and grief and loss expert herself, Jennings said taking someone's life is never the answer.
"I just don't understand how someone mentally or emotionally can be okay with doing that," she said.
On Friday, Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham and Mayor Dwight Jones addressed the crime statistics so far for 2016.
This year, violent crime is up 12 percent compared to last year.
But, Chief Durham said 2015's crime rate was at a historic low.
"Where we are with the 5,461 in major crime, it's still lowest in recent years," said Chief Durham.
The chief also brought up the challenges in being down officers. Durham said right now the department should be at 750, but they're down 36 officers.
CBS 6 Reporter Chelsea Rarrick asked Chief Durham if he believed the shortage in officers had anything to do with crime being up 12 percent this year.
"I think we have to say that is is, because one our response time is lower and I hear it from the communities, we just don't see the police," he said.
Durham said the community has to work together. He stressed the importance of calling in information no matter how small.
If you have information on any crime, call the Richmond Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
