For the second year in a row, both the city of Petersburg and Virginia State University topped the list for the highest rate of crime for any city or university in the commonwealth, with property crime ranking the highest for both.
Petersburg had 95 major crimes per 1,000 residents last year, compared with a statewide figure of about 41 crimes per 1,000 people. In addition, VSU had 43 major crimes per 1,000 students, which is much higher than the statewide numbers. Virginia colleges reported 12.5 crimes per 1,000 students, slightly down from 12.7 the previous year.
Crime increased last year in both Petersburg and VSU, but levels for the state remained consistent.
VSU
Although steps are being taken to reduce crime at the university, VSU Lieutenant Mike Yates argues that he has seen crime worsen during his three years on the force. He believes it boils down to a “deeper” problem that begins before students even enter college.
“Crime appears to be more rampant and serious, and I think it goes back to the breakdown of the family,” he said. “There are babies raising babies, and even though they may know right from wrong, I don’t think there is any self-control in some of our youth.”
According to Yates, serious crimes such as homicides are rarely committed at VSU, none were committed in 2007 or 2008, but he admits that property crime is high. The simple act of locking a door to a car or dorm room could help solve that problem, although he explained that repeated safety briefings to college freshman don’t seem to help.
To aid crime reduction, routine patrols on campus are made by officers on foot, segues, motorcycles and mountain bikes. Members of the department also visit dorms to talk to students about crime and self-defense techniques, and officers perform monthly public service announcements to draw awareness to crime prevention.
In addition, the university also has a security gate that comes into effect from “dusk to dawn,” which screens visitors as they come through the campus.
All of these efforts can assist with crime reduction, but Yates said that if the requirements to get into the university were raised, that might help get a higher caliber student.
“By controlling the type of student you get on campus that makes a difference,” he said. “They could raise the grade point average, because when you lower the gpa, you get students who might not be college material-they may be troublemakers.”
City of Petersburg
Esther Hyatt, public information official with the Petersburg Police Department, argues that there has been a significant decrease in crime since the new police chief, John Dixon III, joined the force in 2007.
One of the reasons for the drop in crime may be the addition of more officers to the force and an increase in pay, she explained. In 2008, the department increased pay for police officers by an average of $6,500 per year.
“With the increase in salary we can compete in jurisdictions and make it an attractive place to work,” she said. “We now have options to who we put on the force.”
In addition to incorporating more officers, the department has also started to analyze crime and the areas where it occurs. Officers no longer just respond to calls, but they are performing self-initiated responses and making regular patrols of their assigned areas.
“We have a more focused approach to crime prevention,” Hyatt said.
One of those focuses is the reduction of property crime, which she said is a “crime of opportunity,” generally occurring when residents do not secure their valuables.
In order to reduce such crimes, the PPD is working closely with the community to educate them about ways they can take to reduce crime, such as simply locking doors. In addition, the department is holding monthly meetings with residents to talk about issues affecting particular neighborhoods in order to develop strategies to improve crime. And each time they meet, they discuss if there has been any progress.
Hyatt said the issues at the meetings can be diverse because there is disparity throughout the city between some residents’ level of income and type of housing.
“The city is primarily African American and it does have some significant social problems, and what adds to the impact of crime is the higher than average illiteracy rate, teen pregnancy and drop-out rates,” she said. “It’s so important for police to work with the community.”
The PPD is also building relationships with the youth in the community. This summer they held a camp for high-risk kids, which was funded through a $10,000 grant. Children had the opportunity to go to Kings Dominion and get to know their police officers as people and not as a “person of power,” said Hyatt.
Community Response to Crime
Joe Battiston, who has owned a manufacturing business in Petersburg for 20 years, argues that the city has been treated unfairly in the media.
The Dinwiddie resident believes that a majority of crime in Petersburg is domestic-related, and he feels completely safe there, even after a burglar broke into his business a few years ago and stole a television set.
“I feel Petersburg gets slammed incorrectly,” he said. “It has a tremendous amount of potential.”
