A troubling surge in violent crime has Hopewell, Virginia residents and business owners on edge following what police describe as an “unusual week” of back-to-back serious incidents. According to 12 On Your Side, the recent spike includes a carjacking, a double stabbing, three shootings, a homicide, and a death investigation—all within a single week.
While police have made at least one arrest in each case, the concentration of violent incidents has raised concerns about a potential shift in the city’s crime landscape.
Police Response to the Crime Wave
“It was quite a bit an unusual week. We hadn’t seen an uptick in back-to-back incidents of this nature in quite a while,” Hopewell Police Chief Gregory Taylor told 12 On Your Side. The chief emphasized that his department is taking proactive measures to address the situation, including increasing police presence in areas experiencing the most crime.
According to Chief Taylor, the city is also in the process of acquiring enhanced security camera systems to improve surveillance and deterrence. “We’re proactively policing, we’re engaging with the community, we’re using our technology to assist us in solving crime,” he explained…