Homicide rate triples in Richmond's southside

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) -

Violent crimes are up in Richmond. The homicide rate has actually tripled in one part of town. In this crime alert, police say they want the community to get involved.

The double stabbing outside Ed's cafe in Richmond's southside gave Civic Association President Keith Edmonds every reason to urge neighbors to keep an eye out.

"The more people involved, the more that can be done," said Edmonds.

Edmonds is a reverend at Koinonia Christian Church near 35th and Hull streets. It's close to the area where the two sisters were stabbed earlier this month. It's part of precinct two.

From January 1 to May 29, Precinct Two saw six homicides compared to only two during the same period last year.

"It's never good to hear about those types of things," Edmonds added. "The world we live in today -it's a reality."

Assaults and burglaries also spiked, but robberies and sexual offenses dipped. Reverend Edmonds makes a point to share his district crime information with neighbors who come to his civic meeting each month.

"We just try to be a center for information sharing," Edmonds noted.

Roy Thomas has lived in this neighborhood for 60 years. He's seen the area become more transient over time, saturated with rentals, and more crime. He even became a victim once when a group of guys jumped him.

"They hit me a few times," said Thomas.

Anytime, he hears of a group trying to battle crime, he's grateful. But Edmonds says more neighbors...especially young people need to get involved so they can help prevent violent crimes in their neighborhood.

I could not speak to police in the violent crime unit on camera because they were out of the office due to air conditioner problems.

However, they say they continue to communicate with neighbors and investigate unsolved homicides. 

Right now, there are two unsolved homicide cases in Richmond. One of them is in Richmond's southside - Precinct Two. 

The other is in the northeast part of the city.

Copyright 2012 WWBT NBC12.  All rights reserved.

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The Frontline - RIP

From 2007 Album: "Lock & Left"..... Frontline Myspace: www.myspace.com Get the music: www.amazon.com & itunes.apple.com The Frontline, commonly known as Frontline, is a rap duo from Richmond, California consisting of Left and Locksmith, also known as Lock. The group is associated with West Coast hip hop music. Despite gaining popularity around the time of the Bay Area hyphy movement, they are not associated as hyphy artists. Their lyrics are more socially conscious than most Bay Area rappers. One of the issues that has been brought up in multiple songs is being positive role models for youths. While they are not opposed to gangster rap and rapping about previous transgressions, Lock and Left don't consistently make records about violence. Although, one of the tracks on their current album involves guns and violence. Their hometown, Richmond, CA has one of the top homicide rates not only in CA, but in the United States. Neither rapper smokes or drinks alcohol, nor glorifies it in their songs. While promoting their second album, "Lock & Left," on Bay Area radio station 106.1 KMEL, they discussed the downside to drugs and alcohol abuse. Much of their work has been produced by EA-SKI, who also does not consume drugs or alcohol. Lock and Left are both UC Berkeley Graduates (LEFT is currently earning a PhD in African Diaspora Studies). Their dedication to youth and education is also reflected in their after-school mentoring and tutoring programs they have set up in the city of ...

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