NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY DISTRICTS

Richmond, Va., City Code ch. 19, art. XII

in effect

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-488 Purpose.

Sec. 19-488. - Purpose. The purpose of this article is to authorize and provide for the establishment of neighborhood safety districts designed to combine increased citizen involvement with increased activity by the Department of Police and other City agencies to eliminate open-air drug markets and other drug-related criminal activity in the City. (Code 2004, § 66-541; Code 2015, § 19-488; Code 2020, § 19-488; Ord. No. 2004-143-143, § 1(20-241), 5-24-2004)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-489 Designation.

Sec. 19-489. - Designation. Specific areas of the City that constitute open-air drug markets shall be designated as neighborhood safety districts according to the following procedure: (1) Application. Any citizen who resides within a definable area that meets the criteria for designation listed below may submit an application to the Chief of Police requesting the designation of that area as a neighborhood safety district and the implementation of the programs for which this article provides in that area. The Chief of Police shall provide forms for such applications, and all applications shall be made on such forms. (2) Criteria for designation. In order for the City to designate a neighborhood safety district, the Chief of Police must determine that the application submitted contains sufficient evidence of the following: a. The proposed neighborhood safety district has clearly defined geographic boundaries; b. The proposed neighborhood safety district is the site of repeated and documented criminal activity related to the distribution, possession or use of illegal drugs, as shown by any of the following: 1. The number of arrests for illegal drug activity for the 12-month period preceding the submission of the application is significantly higher than other similarly sized areas of the City; 2. The number of homicides related to the possession or distribution of illegal drugs for the 12-month period preceding the submission of the application is significantly higher than that for other similarly sized areas of the City; 3. Objective evidence or verifiable information shows that illegal drugs are being sold and distributed within the proposed neighborhood safety district; 4. Reliable information demonstrates that the health or safety of the residents who live in the proposed neighborhood safety district is endangered by the sale of illegal drugs and other criminal activity; or 5. Law enforcement personnel commonly refer to the proposed neighborhood safety district as a "high drug area" or an "open-air drug market;" c. A significant number of the residents living within the proposed neighborhood safety district have indicated a commitment to engage in citizen activity as described in Section 19-491; and d. Such other criteria that qualifies an area for designation as a neighborhood safety district as the Chief of Police may determine and publicize. (3) Authority to make designation. Within 15 calendar days of receipt of an application, the Chief of Police shall determine whether an application meets the criteria of Subsection (2) of this section. If the Chief of Police determines that an application meets the criteria, he shall immediately report such determination to the Chief Administrative Officer. Within five days of the Chief Administrative Officer's receipt of the Chief's report, the Chief Administrative Officer shall designate the geographic area proposed in the application as a neighborhood safety district subject to the programs for which this article provides and shall assign a coordinator with authority to coordinate all plan development and other City activities required by this article for that neighborhood safety district. The Chief Administrative Officer shall make such designation and assignment in writing and shall distribute such designation and assignment to the citizen or citizens who submitted the application and to all agency heads. (Code 2004, § 66-542; Code 2015, § 19-489; Code 2020, § 19-489; Ord. No. 2004-143-143, § 1(20-242), 5-24-2004; Ord. No. 2004-360-330, § 1, 12-13-2004)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-490 District plan.

Sec. 19-490. - District plan. (a) Development. Following the Chief Administrative Officer's designation, the coordinator shall assemble representatives from the Department of Police, the Department of Planning and Development Review, and other City agencies as deemed appropriate to develop a plan for the elimination of open-air drug market activity and other criminal activity in the neighborhood safety district in accordance with the provisions of this article. During all phases of the development of the plan, the coordinator and the representatives of City agencies assisting him shall consult with the citizen or citizens who sought the designation of the neighborhood safety district to develop parts of the plan requiring citizen activity. Within 30 days of the Chief Administrative Officer's designation, the coordinator shall submit to the Chief Administrative Officer for his approval the plan required under this section. Such plan shall be implemented immediately following the Chief Administrative Officer's approval. (b) Elements. The plan shall contain, at a minimum, the following elements agreed upon by the citizen or citizens submitting the application, other residents of the neighborhood safety district who choose to participate, and the coordinator: (1) Citizen activity in accordance with Section 19-491; (2) Additional law enforcement activity in accordance with Section 19-492(a); (3) Support activity from other City agencies in accordance with Section 19-492(b); (4) A resource allocation plan in accordance with Section 19-492(c); (5) A list of measurable program goals designed to lead to the elimination of open-air drug markets and other criminal activity in the neighborhood safety district in accordance with Section 19-493; and (6) Such other elements as the coordinator or City agencies believe would advance the purposes of this article within the particular neighborhood safety district. (Code 2004, § 66-543; Code 2015, § 19-490; Code 2020, § 19-490; Ord. No. 2004-143-143, § 1(20-243), 5-24-2004; Ord. No. 2004-360-330, § 1, 12-13-2004; Ord. No. 2009-220-2010-8, § 2, 1-25-2010)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-491 Citizen activity.

Sec. 19-491. - Citizen activity. Each plan shall provide for specific actions to be undertaken by residents organized within the neighborhood safety district to further the purposes of this article. Such activities may be undertaken with City support, if appropriate, and may include, but need not be limited to, the following: (1) Agreement by neighborhood groups, businesses, churches, schools, and other organizations that agree to clear debris, remove graffiti, paint walls, repair playground equipment, and plant trees and gardens at a specific street corner or park; (2) Agreement by residents to spend a set portion of a Saturday or weekend working to improve the physical appearance of their yards, homes, and adjacent areas; (3) Establishment of organized citizen patrols which will observe illicit activity and report observations to the police; (4) Repeated marches and vigils at the locations of open-air drug markets during periods of peak illegal drug activity; (5) Community events such as block barbecues staged at the locations of open-air drug markets; (6) Attending and monitoring trials, hearings and other court proceedings resulting from arrests made in the neighborhood safety district, and reporting of the results of such proceedings to the City's coordinator; and (7) Such other activities to further the purposes of this article as the participating residents and the coordinator may agree are appropriate. (Code 2004, § 66-544; Code 2015, § 19-491; Code 2020, § 19-491; Ord. No. 2004-143-143, § 1(20-244), 5-24-2004)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-492 City activity.

Sec. 19-492. - City activity. (a) Police activity. Each plan shall provide for specific actions to be undertaken in the neighborhood safety district by the Department of Police to further the purposes of this article. Such activities may include, but need not be limited to, the following: (1) Increased police presence in the neighborhood safety district to respond to organized citizen patrols when such groups are patrolling; (2) Police escorts for marches and vigils held in open-air drug markets during periods of peak illegal drug activity; (3) Establishment of a semi-permanent police command post within the neighborhood safety district; (4) Monitoring and reporting the hearing times and disposition of arrests made within the neighborhood safety district to the residents thereof; and (5) Such other activities to further the purposes of this article as the Chief of Police and the coordinator may agree are appropriate. (b) Activity of other City agencies. Each plan shall provide for specific actions to be undertaken in the neighborhood safety district by the appropriate City agency to further the purposes of this article. Such activities may include, but need not be limited to, the following: (1) Priority repair and replacement of lights that have been broken or have had their wiring cut; (2) Installation of surveillance cameras or other monitoring devices within the neighborhood safety district; (3) Increased enforcement of building, fire, health and other regulations within the neighborhood safety district; and (4) Such other activities to further the purposes of this article as City agencies and the coordinator may agree are appropriate. (c) Resource allocation. Each plan shall include an itemization of specific allocations of human and material resources that City agencies will devote to the implementation of the plan. (Code 2004, § 66-545; Code 2015, § 19-492; Code 2020, § 19-492; Ord. No. 2004-143-143, § 1(20-245), 5-24-2004)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-493 Stabilization.

Sec. 19-493. - Stabilization. (a) Program goals. It is the goal of the City that active drug markets and drug-related crime be reduced by at least ten percent each quarter of a fiscal year in all neighborhood safety districts until the affected area is no longer designated as a neighborhood safety district. Each plan may set higher goals appropriate for a particular neighborhood safety district as agreed upon by the citizen or citizens submitting the application, other residents of the neighborhood safety district who choose to participate, and the coordinator. (b) Measurement of goal achievement. Each plan shall state criteria for the measurement of the success of the program set forth in this article. Such criteria shall be measurable empirically in such a way that progress toward the goals for which Subsection (a) of this section provides may be statistically demonstrated. (c) Reporting. The Chief Administrative Officer shall make quarterly reports to the City Council on the status of the program set forth in this article. Such reports shall include a list of all the neighborhood safety district applications received and designations made, the goals for each district, and a chronological statistical measurement of the progress toward each goal. (d) Removal of district designation. Three months after the Chief Administrative Officer has submitted a report to the City Council indicating that the program goals have been met and illegal drug activity has been eliminated within a particular neighborhood safety district, the Chief Administrative Officer may remove the designation of that neighborhood safety district as such. Following the removal of the neighborhood safety district designation, the provisions of this article concerning City activity and the plan for such neighborhood safety district shall no longer apply to such area. (Code 2004, § 66-546; Code 2015, § 19-493; Code 2020, § 19-493; Ord. No. 2004-143-143, § 1(20-246), 5-24-2004; Ord. No. 2004-360-330, § 1, 12-13-2004)

Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICICO_CH19OFMIPR_ARTXIINESADIFetched: 11/8/2026