HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico Police are sharing updates following a number of break-ins and incidents of vandalism in the county's East End over the last month.
Henrico Board of Supervisors member Tyrone Nelson held a Sandston community meeting Tuesday to address concerns.
Police started the meeting by breaking down crime numbers and shared that crime is overall up in Henrico’s East End.
Police Chief Eric English said they are seeing an increase in car break-ins, burglaries, and vandalism. He said there were 34 vandalism incidents that took place in one night recently. He said someone went around town shooting an airsoft gun, damaging property.
They are finding that their investigation is leading them to believe this may not be an isolated event.
“We're developing a really good suspect, and we're developing some leads that we can follow up on. So hopefully I'll have some better news in the coming weeks,” said one officer.
Police described how they are using technology, cameras, and license plate readers to work the cases. That’s in addition to increasing their presence in the area.
Community members weighed in on changes they want to see.
Some want to see more lights to increase visibility, while others want community members to be more vigilant.
“I get up in the middle of the night, walk through the house, and open up my windows to look out because I want to see what's going on. These kids and young adults are looking for an opportunity. We need to shut it down,” said one woman.
Police are asking people to send in any suspicious pictures or videos, lock their cars and property, and apply to be a part of the department to fill vacancies.
They are also asking for the community’s patience as they piece together who is committing these crimes.
"I know you all want immediate satisfaction in terms of in terms of arrest," said Chief English. "We have to be very, very diligent about how we go about solving this."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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