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Richmond break-ins and home security
Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards reported 54 homicides in 2025, tied with 2024 and the lowest since 2018. Major crime dropped 12 percent. Residential burglary dropped 26 percent. Those are citywide numbers. They are not a reason to leave a Fan side door unlocked on a Tuesday while you sit downtown.
RPD counted 54 homicides in 2025, the same as 2024. Non-fatal shootings fell to 171, the lowest since 2015. Residential robberies dropped 40 percent and carjackings dropped 39 percent. Violent crime rose 8 percent, driven largely by a change in how domestic assaults are reported. Those counts mix The Fan, Church Hill, Downtown, Manchester, and Southside. A quieter street is not 24/7 monitoring, and a neighbor on the porch is not an ADT operator. We do not publish neighborhood crime rates.
Direction on the citywide mix is real. Mayor Danny Avula took office in January 2025. Chief Edwards has spoken to the numbers. The reason people still order is occupancy: porch packages, a tried door, and houses that sit empty after drop-off or a commute on I-64, I-95, or Midlothian Turnpike.
Boxes on Fan, Church Hill, and Carytown porches
Walkable streets are why people add a doorbell. Fan, Church Hill, Carytown, and Oregon Hill houses collect boxes on porches while owners are at work, on I-64, or downtown. A camera you check yourself is useful. It is not the same as ADT calling you when a door opens.
The system is for the hours no one is looking out the window — not a claim that Short Pump or Midlothian is dangerous.
School days and the empty house after drop-off
Richmond Public Schools drop-off empties in-city two-stories. Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover calendars empty Short Pump, Midlothian, and Mechanicsville until pickup. A VCU class day empties Fan and Carver doors the same way. That is when people want the system armed.
Henrico reported three homicides in 2025, the fewest in 60 years. Chesterfield recorded 20 homicides in 2025, up from 12. Those county numbers still do not describe your street. Confirm the ZIP. Order for the hours you are gone.
Sources: Richmond Police Department 2025 year-end briefing (Chief Rick Edwards); WRIC and The Richmonder reporting on the 54-homicide count and 12 percent major-crime drop; Axios Richmond on Chesterfield and Henrico 2025 counts. Mayor Danny Avula. Numbers change. We cite the year. We do not publish neighborhood crime rates.
Who shows up if an alarm trips?
ADT can request help based on the alert type. Inside the city that is typically Richmond Police. Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover dispatch differently. Confirm the office from your ZIP. City of Richmond Chapter 10 requires a $10 CryWolf registration — confirm (877) 893-5267.
Do you quote neighborhood crime rates?
No. We cite citywide RPD numbers and then talk about occupancy: doors, leftover keypads, and the hours the house sits empty.