HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Henrico Police will no longer send patrol units to certain calls for service that you may call into emergency dispatch, Henrico Police Chief Eric English announced Monday in a video posted on YouTube. Those calls include certain:
- Animal calls
- Loud parties or noise complaints
- Medical emergencies
- Service calls
- Shoplifting
- Abandoned vehicles
- Marijuana use
- Juvenile problems
- Panhandling
Scroll down for Chief English's explanation of how police will or will not handle calls in these specific categories.
"We understand these changes may take some time to get used to. This will be a learning curve for not only you, our community members but also for our patrol units and dispatchers in the Department of Emergency Communications," English said. "Each call will be assessed on a call-by-call basis... Our division could see a decrease of nearly 5,000 calls, which would again allow our patrol units to respond to other calls in a more efficient and timely manner."
Hours after the initial announcement rolled out, Chief English posted a second video once the community voiced their concerns with what they heard.
"Since the announcement of changes to certain calls to service this afternoon, we've received a number of inquiries from our community members," his second message began. "Our goal with these changes is to provide better, more efficient patrol response time to our residents and provide more visibility across our county. Additionally, each call will be assessed on a call-by-call basis to determine an appropriate response. However please be assured we will continue to respond to all emergency calls appropriately."
In his second message, Chief English said the county receives around 139,000 calls for service a year and these changes could lower that number by around 5,000.
"These changes will also allow for other sections within police division or county agencies to follow up on these calls without the need for a patrol response," he continued. "For example, our community policing unit handles quality of life issues. They will now be responsible for handling abandoned vehicles or recovered bicycles. For medical emergencies, we will continue to respond to provide life-saving measures until other First Responders arrive. We understand the need for more clarity on these changes. As a result, our division is working on a guide that will help our community members navigate these new changes. To reiterate, each call will be assessed on a call-by call-basis and Emergency Services will still be provided as needed. We apologize for the confusion and misunderstanding with these changes and are looking forward to providing you with the quality of service you deserve. More information will be released on our website tomorrow, March 19."
Last week, Chief English said while overall crime was down in Henrico, violent crime (murders, rapes, robberies, and assaults) and car theft hit five-year highs in 2023. He also mentioned Henrico Police were short-staffed by about 64 positions.
VCU professor William Pelfrey said the Henrico Police announcement is part of a larger national trend.
"Police departments all over the United States are experiencing huge deficits in the number of sworn officers, Richmond police are down 20%. Suburban police departments are still down five and 10%," he said. "So they're relying more on technology, they're relying more on video footage, they're relying more on taking calls, taking reports over the phone or via computer. So the kinds of things we're seeing in in Henrico, that's going to happen all over the US. Henrico may just be kind of on the lead for this."
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Animal Calls
Any calls for service received between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. would be left pending until an animal protection officer marks on duty.
However, if there is a call about an injured animal or animal attack on a person or other animal, Henrico Police will dispatch an officer to the area.
Loud Parties or Noise Complaints
Previously, Henrico Police responded to complaints about noise from children, running through an apartment complex or hallways, starting March 18, Henrico Police will no longer respond to these calls.
However, if there is a clear violation of the county's noise ordinance, then an officer will respond to the location.
Medical Emergencies
Henrico Police will continue to respond to life-threatening crimes in progress.
However, if police units are not needed by other first responders then the Henrico Police presence may be canceled.
Additionally, unless there is a criminal allegation, Henrico Police officers will not respond to complaints against nursing staff at a facility.
Service Calls about People in the Median or Homeless Citizens
Henrico Police will no longer be responding to calls regarding individuals lawfully in a median or checking on homeless individuals who appear to be fine.
Shoplifting
If the complainant does not have evidence of the crime and it occurred in the past, or does not wish to prosecute, Henrico Police officers will not respond to that shoplifting.
That does not mean a report can't be filed.
Henrico Police is working on an online portal, which would allow you to submit a report online.
Henrico Police telephone reporting unit is available to generate a report for documentation purposes at 804-501-4810.
Abandoned Vehicles
Henrico Police patrol units will no longer respond to calls for service about abandoned vehicles or recovered bicycles.
Instead, Henrico Police community policing unit will be assigned to look into those incidents
Marijuana Use
Due to current state laws, Henrico Police officers will no longer respond to calls for marijuana use within a residence.
If the caller is reaching out to report a drug transaction that occurred in the past, the information will be forwarded to Crimestoppers or police intelligence for further investigative assignment.
However, if there is an active drug transaction, Henrico Police will respond to that location.
Juvenile Problems
Henrico Police officers will no longer respond to calls about juvenile problems without a nexus to crime.
This includes but is not limited to calls to assist with parenting, truancy, or a request for an officer to speak with the child about the consequences of their actions.
Panhandling
Unless the person is violating traffic laws being disorderly, trespassing or causing a hazard in the roadway, Henrico Police will no longer respond to these calls.
What do you think about the changes? Tap here to share your voice with the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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