Wilder responds to Museum District/Scott’s Addition crime wave
At the Mayor’s town hall meeting this week, a local business owner asked the mayor what he was planning to do about the increasing number of crimes that have plagued the area.
A quick look at the crime map results in an ever-increasing number of crimes. And, the severity of the crimes are worsening, with multiple breaking and enterings showing up in recent weeks and a rape on Boulevard this week. Even businesses are being targeted, with a store getting robbed for cigarettes in Scott’s Addition. I too have witnessed the crime wave, when would-be muggers held up my friend.
Wilder’s response wasn’t too insightful, but police chief Monroe had some interesting thoughts. Richmond.com captured a transcript of the meeting…
Wilder:We’re not unmindful, but we’re not trying to chase crimes and criminals from one part of town to another. We’re trying to shrink it. We have zero vacancies in the police department, which means we’re spending every available dollar on police officers.
Rodney Monroe, police chief:That corridor is problematic and for the first time, we have outstanding cooperation from social services. We’ve made a lot of arrests, but we haven’t solved the problem. We have social services employees riding with police officers. That area around the Greyhound Bus station is a main stomping ground. People come here from other places.
It makes sense that the Greyhound bus station brings more crime to the area. There has been much talk recently about moving Greyhound from its home on Boulevard across from the Diamond, both from the charrette and from the area study commissioned by Mayor Wilder.
With 100,000 passengers coming through the station each month and the increased level of residential zoning in the Scott’s Addition area, perhaps it’s time to aggressively search for a new home for Greyhound.
If Greyhound is the problem, relocating it won’t solve anything except to move the problem elsewhere. Perhaps the development in the area will have a positive impact or just increased police presence in the area will change things, but to simply NIMBY the problem elsewhere is merely attempting to treat the symptoms, not the disease.
Much as I’d like to move the Greyhound station, as it is one of my least favorite places ever, my first thought was also, “to where?” I agree with Jason that this tends to reek of NIMBYism (not in my backyard).
Is Greyhound really the problem though? There’s not much around that area and it seemed to me the crime was more spread out than that (certainly any crime in Carytown is not a result of the bus station?)