Mayor Stoney announced today that he is appointing Deputy Chief Gerald Smith of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Police Department as the new chief of the Richmond Police Department.     Smith will assume the position on July 1.   “Deputy Chief Gerald Smith is who Richmond needs right now – a reform-minded leader with deep experience in community policing and de-escalation,” said Mayor Stoney.   Smith currently serves as the Executive Officer of Investigative Services in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. In that position, he commands criminal investigations including domestic violence, crimes against children, sexual assault and homicide.     He has been with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department since 1991, rising in the ranks from community police officer to deputy chief.   Current Interim Chief William “Jody” Blackwell has asked to return to his former position of major. He will continue serving as interim chief until July 1.   “I am grateful for Interim Chief Blackwell’s continued servi

On Wednesday, July 1, the City of Richmond will move into Phase Three of the state’s reopening plan, Forward Virginia.    “In light of the data we’re seeing and the accessibility of testing and secure isolation, I’m comfortable with our city entering Phase Three of Forward Virginia alongside the rest of the Commonwealth,” said Mayor Stoney.    “However, we know that to keep moving forward in the recovery process, we have to maintain the same cautious, respectful attitudes and practices we’ve been normalizing for the past three months,” he continued. “Wear a mask, keep your distance and get tested.”   Since mid-March, the City of Richmond has operated under various stages of closure while adopting basic practices that are proven to fight the spread of COVID-19: wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, sanitizing hands and spaces and intentionally protecting the most vulnerable individuals and communities.    The governor’s face covering requirement in indoor public spaces i

The allocation represents 30 percent of the city’s CARES Act funding from the state The Stoney administration today announced that $6 million of the $20.1 million in CARES Act funding provided to the city by the state will go to fund the Eviction Diversion Program and rental assistance.   The sum represents 30 percent of the state’s total allocation to the City of Richmond.   The funding will support both households currently facing evictions pending in the courts as well as those at risk of eviction due to economic challenges arising from COVID-19.   “From both a human services and a public health perspective, it is paramount that Richmond residents do not face housing insecurity during this pandemic,” said Mayor Stoney. “In the long-term recovery from this crisis, we want to make sure the city’s doing everything it can to empower residents, especially during the most challenging moments of their lives.”   The eviction moratorium issued by Governor Northam expires on Monday, June 29.

Click here to download the Mayor’s Roadmap for Public Safety Reform . The full visual presentation will be available  here  when meeting materials are posted by the city clerk. At an informal meeting of Richmond City Council on Monday, Mayor Stoney presented his local roadmap for reimagining public safety, a plan for the restructuring and reform of city policies, procedures and practices to ensure a truly safer city for all.    The Stoney administration is pursuing a human services-centered approach to public safety, strengthening and creating new partnerships between the city and community organizations.  “Of course, we need officers to respond to violent and criminal acts, but we cannot expect our police officers to serve as social workers, psychologists, child trauma experts and mental health workers, responding to every non-criminal call for service because America hasn’t properly prioritized other service providers,” said Mayor Stoney. “It does not make our country, or our city, s

Ticketing and towing will be enforced for unauthorized vehicles On-street parking restrictions will be in place near polling locations on Tuesday, June 23 during the primary election to accommodate chief election officers, those working the polls on Election Day and for voters in some areas. Parking will be prohibited in the following areas from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.   ·         Three parking meters/pay stations on the west side of the Main Library (Election Officer placard must be displayed). ·         All parking meters/pay stations on 9 th  and 10 th  streets between Broad and Marshall streets (Election Officer placard must be displayed.)  ·         All parking meters/pay stations on the north side of Marshall Street between 9 th  and 10 th  streets (Election Officer placard must be displayed.)  ·         The north side of Palmyra Avenue in the block of Hermitage Methodist Home (a polling location) will be designated for voters and election officers only.  ·         Three parking meters