PETERSBURG, Va. -- Authorities revealed Friday a critical component in solving 70 percent of last year’s homicide cases in Petersburg.
Capt. Emanuel Chambliss said that because of the public's tips, investigators made arrests in 10 of the city's 17 homicides in 2018.
Additionally, Chambliss said two of the cases have been sent to a grand jury and five of the cases are still being investigated.
As a result, the department’s homicide clearing rate is now 70 percent while the national average is 61 percent.
"The biggest piece has been the public,” Chambliss explained. “We’ve been getting a lot of assistance… and they’ve come to our aid. That's helped a lot. We’re putting the information out on social media a lot more asking for help from the public and they're coming forward."
Additionally, Chambliss said overall crime is also down in the city.