Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares initiated Operation Ceasefire in October 2022 to address gun violence through prosecution and prevention, as well as promote group violence intervention strategies.
The Virginia program also works with local communities to reduce and prevent violent crime.
In a Norfolk press conference this morning, Miyares announced new trends and reductions in crime in Virginia’s highest crime cities, targeted by Operation Ceasefire. Miyares was joined by Speaker Don Scott and multiple law enforcement and public safety leaders.
Virginia’s Ceasefire Cities are Richmond, Petersburg, Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Roanoke, Emporia, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Danville and Hopewell. Operation Ceasefire has prosecuted 155 cases, resulting in 106 convictions with 41 pending trials. The impact in the communities is noticeable.
The goal of Operation Ceasefire was to decrease homicides in Virginia by 10 percent. After only a year of implementation, Virginia has a 17 percent decrease in murders, 10 percent decrease in rapes and a 3 percent decrease in robberies.
In 2023, 12 of the 13 Ceasefire Cities saw reductions in crime, and nine saw an overall reduction in violent crime. The cities also saw 225 fewer violent crimes in 2023 than in 2022.
The City of Hopewell had the largest reduction, with a 33 percent reduction in violent crime. Other significant decreases included Norfolk with 26 percent drop in violent crime and a 31 percent decrease in murders, and Portsmouth had an 8 percent decrease in violent crime and 17 percent decrease in murder. Petersburg and Richmond had a 17 percent and 7 percent decrease in violent crime, respectively.
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Rebecca Barnabi
