Richmond Police releases mid-year crime update, highlights key concerns in Shockoe Bottom

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Richmond Police Department (RPD) has released a mid-year crime update, showing an overall 12% drop in major crimes while certain neighborhoods, including Shockoe Bottom, remain areas of concern.

On Wednesday, July 10, RPD Chief Rick Edwards presented updated crime statistics for the city. According to police, violent crime overall has remained flat with a minimal decrease from 484 incidents in mid-2024 to 482 in 2025.

A breakdown of violent crimes showed mixed results:

Despite the increase in certain violent crimes, Edwards emphasized progress in reducing overall major crime.

“When we combine property crime, violent crime -- overall major crime for the first half of the year is down 12%,” Edwards said.

However, Edwards acknowledged ongoing issues in Shockoe Bottom, calling it a “hot topic” for the department. One of the notable incidents involved the arrest of 22-year-old Jordan Gayle, who shot a Department of Public Works employee on May 21, while they were working a trash collection route.

Another case involved 18-year-old Shawn Heckstall, who was seen pointing a gun at a Richmond police car. Heckstall was later arrested in June for possession of a firearm.

“Young people [are] showing up to events armed with guns and settling their disputes, which should be fistfights, with gunfire,” Edwards said.

For Operation Safe Summer, which started May 31, police seized 105 firearms, made 97 felony arrests and 70 misdemeanor arrests, issued 105 warrants and wrote 112 traffic tickets.

The department has also been tracking crime hot spots across the city. In the last six months, 17 areas have been flagged, with three newly added and five removed from the list. One area of improvement is the 2900 block of Chamberlayne Avenue.

Lamont Barnes with Richmond’s Department of Justice Services credited enhanced lighting and surveillance systems for the drop in crime in that area. “These businesses in this area all qualify and are taking advantage of the opportunities the city offers them to be able to increase the safety measures,” Barnes said.

Police say they will continue monitoring crime trends and working with community partners to improve safety citywide.