Category: Crime, Corrections, Law Enforcement
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Ah, Those Woke Prosecutors!
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Here is a quiz. Below is the description of a crime that was released by the public information office of a Virginia locality. The killer pled guilty to charges of first-degree murder, attempted robbery (2 counts) and use of a firearm (3 counts). The judge sentenced him to 63 years in prison…
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Homicide Charges for Drug Dealers — Yes!
by James A. Bacon Governor Glenn Youngkin has told Southwest Virginia law enforcement officials that he would sign a bill charging drug dealers with homicide if they sold illegal drugs that resulted in an overdose death. With the number of fatal overdoses exceeding 100,000 a year across the U.S., drug addiction is a scourge in…
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Bias-Based Traffic Stops — A Rejoinder
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Department of Criminal Justice Services has published its annual report on traffic stop data. In a recent article on this blog, Jim Bacon rendered his verdict on whether the data shows police bias in traffic stops: Still No Proof. The report shows that, in the period of July 1, 2021, to…
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Safety and Accountability
by Jon Baliles Richmond City Council approved plans earlier this week for a Civilian Review Board (CRB) for the Police Department that left people on all sides a bit upset, which fulfills one of the telltale signs of good legislation — if everyone is a little bit upset, then it is probably done right. If…
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Some Pretty Good Clues to the EnRichmond Saga
by James C. Sherlock Jon Baliles wrote an article about the EnRichmond Foundation. Seems everyone is in the dark. To throw some light, I offer the last Form 990 from EnRichmond that is available online. It was filed October 20, 2020. It offers some clues, such as … the name of the Executive Director; the…
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Police Bias in Traffic Stops? Still No Proof.
by James A. Bacon The Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has published a new report that finds that Black and Hispanic drivers in Virginia are more likely to be stopped than Whites, and they are more likely to be searched and arrested. However, the report also says there isn’t enough data to draw definitive…
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Crime, Cops, Steve Descano and the “Needs and Values” of Fairfax County
by James C. Sherlock Deterrence of crime, measured as a combination of fear of getting caught and fear of punishment, has been visibly collapsing in Fairfax County since January 2020. In that month, Steve Descano took over as Commonwealth’s Attorney and has by policy greatly reduced risk of punishment for crimes in that county. He…
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Norfolk’s Self-Defunding Police Force
Shootings are becoming such a problem in downtown Norfolk that city officials are cracking down on nightclubs that violate city ordinances — inspiring charges of racism in the process. Good luck holding down the homicide rate, guys. If you shut down a nightclub, you don’t eliminate demand for partying and booze. Local businessmen will set…
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Ungrateful Citizens of Fairfax County
by James C. Sherlock Jeff McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, can’t catch a break. Violent crime is up. The Fairfax County Police Chief has declared a police emergency for staffing. There has been a fairly brutal back and forth up there about who is responsible and who is or is not…
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Richmond Pols Flapping Jaws About Crime
by Jon Baliles If this were an election year and the crime we are currently experiencing was occurring the way it is, then you would have outrage and brimstone from politicians, and promises to combat and reduce crime and find the perpetrators. In the last three weeks, three teenagers have been shot. One was killed…
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Boiling Blood, Aching Heart
by Jon Baliles This appalling story will make your blood boil with rage and your heart ache with sadness, followed by gratitude for those that work to defend the defenseless. I have said before and again reiterate that people who abuse helpless animals deserve and hopefully receive a non-stop express ticket to hell. I’ll put…
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More on Virginia Sheriffs
by Dick Hall-Sizemore This article is a follow-up to Jim McCarthy’s article on sheriffs. My main purpose is to provide some details and more context to the discussion of the position of sheriff in Virginia. The sheriff is a “constitutional officer.” Article VII, Section 4 of the state constitution directs that in each county and…
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To Be Elected Or Not
by Jim McCarthy The exploits of Robin Hood and his band of merry men in the cover of Sherwood Forest have been colored heroic as they engaged in a redistribution of wealth from one class of Englishmen to another. The Sheriff of Nottingham was a spoiler, though his mission was one of law and order…