A Senate committee could debate a bill that would reverse a policing law intended to reduce racial profiling.
The General Assembly in 2020 passed a law along party lines to end pretextual policing, or the practice of stopping someone for a minor traffic violation. Such traffic stops are made for broken tail lights, tinted windows, or objects hanging from the rearview mirror. The law also bans police from searching a vehicle based on the smell of marijuana.
These stops often lead to officers conducting investigations unrelated to the reason for the stop, according to the criminal justice reform group Justice Forward Virginia.
Del. Ronnie Campbell, R-Rockbridge, introduced House Bill 79. He said in a House committee meeting that the bill would make Virginians safer. For example, the bill would prevent people from driving with broken tail lights, which can cause accidents. He also said the legislation could lead police to catch fugitives, including serial killers. He listed a few high-profile killers who were apprehended over the years — outside of Virginia — during stops for minor traffic offenses.
“You never really know who you’re stopping or what you’re gonna get,” Campbell said.
Breanne Armbrust is the executive director of the Neighborhood Resource Center of Greater Fulton, a nonprofit that seeks to provide educational, cultural and nutrition benefits in Richmond’s East End.
Armbrust said data doesn’t show serial killers are pulled over. However, pretextual policing has disproportionately impacted Richmond’s Fulton neighborhood residents, she said.
“These types of stops lead to more engagement with law enforcement, which makes it challenging for everybody that’s involved,” Armbrust said.
Black people accounted for 31% of the drivers pulled over for minor traffic offenses from July 2020 to December 2021, according to data collected through the Community Policing Act. Black people over the age of 18 account for 18% of Virginia’s population over the age of 18, based on census data, though not all of the population drive.
Brad Haywood, executive director of criminal justice reform group Justice Forward, questioned how the assumption is that Black people are worse drivers than white people.
“Like is that really the argument? It’s just absurd,” Haywood said.
Sipiwe West, a North Carolina resident, was pulled over in the late ’90s. She was driving with family through Virginia on Interstate 85 to attend a funeral.
The reason for the traffic stop was an air freshener hanging in her rearview mirror, she said. The family was asked to exit the vehicle and was questioned about their intention and destination, according to West.
“If you ride more than one Black person in a car, you’re probably going to get pulled over, especially if you are young,” West said, who was in her early 20s at the time. She said it was terrible to be profiled for being Black.
“It’s not like everyone else you know … you get pulled over and it’s like ‘OK, I was freaking speeding, let me get a ticket or something like that,’” West said. “This is: ‘Oh, my God. I’m gonna get pulled over. What the hell is possibly going to jump off from this situation?’”
West said the interstate she was traveling on was frequently used to transfer drugs. She was alarmed but not surprised that officers made her family go through that situation — and on top of an already tough period of their lives.
Chelsea Higgs Wise, executive director for the social equity group Marijuana Justice, said pretextual policing around the presumed presence of drugs is racist.
“The police are legally allowed to target us based on the color of our skin,” Higgs Wise said. “We have to continue to circle back to the data and to what we know about history, and why these laws were set in the first place.”
Farnad Darnell is a technician at an HIV clinic who used to work in Northern Virginia and live in Maryland. Darnell said he’s been pulled over multiple times for traffic offenses.
“Since then, I don’t go into Virginia, except to see my sister who’s down in the Newport News area,” Darnell said. “I’d maybe go down there a couple of times a year at most, for those very reasons now, because I didn’t want to get pulled over.”
Darnell said he doesn’t feel less safe on the road due to his past experiences with the police but rather more aware of his driving. He goes out of his way to plan trips that allow him to avoid areas with excessive policing.
Minor traffic stops should be brought back as primary offenses because law enforcement have said their “hands are tied,” Campbell said.
The bill was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, president pro tempore of the Senate, stated on Twitter that “we will be taking a close look at what came from the House and making sure it doesn’t roll back our recent progress.”
Lucas, along with Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, sponsored identical bills in 2020 which ended minor traffic offenses. Democratic lawmakers were met with Republican opposition at the time but had the majority votes to get the bills through each chamber.
The bills passed as part of a legislative agenda focused on criminal justice and police reform after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Republicans campaigned heavily last year on the message that they would support law enforcement and that Democrats had been soft on crime.
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The Capital News Service is a flagship program of VCU’s Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture. In the program, journalism students cover news in Richmond and across Virginia and distribute their stories, photos, and other content to more than 100 newspapers, television and radio stations, and news websites.
Every Memorial Day since 2013, the James River Association has kicked off their annual water quality monitoring program to help keep swimmers, paddlers, and boaters informed about river conditions before they get on the river.
This program, better known as James River Watch, releases real-time river results to the public on a weekly basis thanks to volunteers and partners across the watershed.
Approximately 120 volunteers will monitor water quality at 38 sites across the watershed from Memorial Day through Labor Day this year. In addition to these crucial volunteers, JRA also relies on essential partnerships with Rivanna Conservation Alliance, American Water, Virginia State University, Virginia Master Naturalist-Peninsula Chapter, Appomattox River Company and Twin River Outfitters to carry out the program.
James River Watch volunteers take water samples every Thursday to track measurements of water temperature, air temperature, turbidity (or cloudiness), conductivity (or saltiness) and bacteria. High levels of fecal coliform bacteria can indicate presence of pathogens harmful to human health, which can affect river user safety.
Photo Credit: James River Association
These measurements are updated and displayed every Friday via the program’s online platform. Additionally, the platform displays stage and flow readings, as well as predictions compiled in real time from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and United States Geological Survey stream gauges.
Thanks to the careful design of the interactive map, James River Watch acts as a quick and easy reference for river users to determine recent river conditions all in one place. This year, JRA has added two new stations to the River Watch program: one at the Howardsville boat ramp where the Rockfish River meets the James, and one at Deep Bottom Park in Henrico County.
River lovers can be the first to know when results are posted every Friday by signing up for a weekly newsletter, typically sent on Friday afternoons or evenings throughout James River Watch season. The newsletter also includes a weekly station spotlight, highlighting JRA’s test stations and encouraging recipients to find new places to enjoy the James.
“We are very excited to continue James River Watch with another year of informing community members about river conditions before they go out to recreate,” said Casey Johnson, Community Engagement/GIS Coordinator for JRA. “I have so much gratitude to our amazing volunteers that help make this program possible.”
During the 2022 river season, James River Watch revealed an 80% bacteria pass rate with 6 sites passing 100% of the time. These sites include Robious Landing Park, Pony Pasture, Hopewell at Route 10, College Creek Beach, and Riverside Beach.
JRA staff has been concerned with the high bacteria levels at two sites in the Williamsburg/James City County region. In 2021 and 2022, JRA worked with the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) to test the water for a marker found in human sewage in an effort to understand why the bacteria levels might be high. The results showed that it was unlikely to be the result of human sewage, which is good news. Bacteria sources that are closer to humans are more likely to be a threat to health. In 2023, JRA is working again with HRSD to use environmental DNA (eDNA) to try to identify the source of the high bacteria levels.
JRA strives to protect and connect people with the river, objectives that James River Watch certainly accomplishes. JRA also provides opportunities for river lovers to help reduce the amount of bacteria flowing to our waterways. Community members can sign up to join River Hero Homes by pledging to adopt easy, river-friendly behaviors at home. JRA’s Action Network provides a platform for river advocates to help secure clean water funding, and river rats can become an official RiverRat, JRA’s first line of defense for patrolling potential pollution sources.
The James River Watch program is partially funded by the Department of Environmental Quality Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Grant Program.
To learn more about James River Watch, visit www.jamesriverwatch.org, or contact Casey Johnson, JRA’s Community Engagement/GIS Coordinator at [email protected].
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[Tuesday], at approximately 5:13 p.m., Officers of the Richmond Police Department working off duty at the Huguenot High School graduation responded when gunfire was heard in Monroe Park at North Laurel and West Main Streets. Multiple RPD units responded with VCU Police to assist on scene. Officers located five individuals who had suffered gunshot wounds. They were transported by ambulance to a local hospital. A short time later, two additional victims arrived at an area hospital; they were self-transported.
Two adult males, ages 18 and 36, succumbed to their injuries.
One sustained a life-threatening injury, and four sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Other injuries include:
One juvenile was struck by a vehicle, was treated on scene, and later transported to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.
Two individuals were treated for falls.
Nine individuals were treated for anxiety and minor injuries at the scene.
Two individuals were quickly taken into custody by VCU Police. After consultation with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, one of the individuals detained will be charged with 2nd Degree murder (x2).
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact RPD Major Crimes Detective J. Crewell at (804) 646-5324 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones also may be used. All Crime Stoppers reporting methods are anonymous.
Information is fluid at this time as the investigation evolves.
Statement from Richmond City Council:
“This evening, Richmonders are once again devastated by senseless gun violence. At a graduation ceremony, a tradition rooted in honoring a milestone achievement, has been marred by an act that has taken lives and left many others injured.
Those who were able to survive without visible wounds will likely be forever impacted by this violent event.
The thoughts and prayers of all members of Richmond Council and all Richmonders are with the students, parents, families, teachers, friends, and loved ones of those whose lives were taken from us and were injured tonight in this terrible tragedy.
During this difficult time, we know that each person will draw on their personal strength and the strength and faith of their friends and community. We join tonight as one family, one community, and one Richmond.
As a family in Richmond, we lend and extend our friendship and hearts to our Richmond family during this difficult and challenging time.
We don’t yet have all the answers to this senseless act of violence, only that it should never have happened and that is has no place in our society.
Richmond City Council also wants to recognize our first responders who act every day to save lives and restore order and put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of our community.
We ask that everyone join us in keeping all the families in their hearts, thoughts and prayers and ask that all Richmonders observe a moment of silence tonight in support, respect, and condolence to all those impacted by this unspeakable event.
Richmond City Council does do not condone or stand for senseless acts of gun violence. Richmond is a resilient and strong community. While our hearts are heavy for the loss, the unanswered questions as to why linger. We will heal and we will grow stronger.
For those who wish to engage with caring mental health professionals, Richmond offers the following services:
— Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (@RepMcClellan) June 6, 2023
All RPS schools & offices will be closed tomorrow, June 7. All high school graduations have also been canceled. Further updates regarding rescheduling will be shared soon. pic.twitter.com/AAFum2TdcB
— Richmond Public Schools (@RPS_Schools) June 7, 2023
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The Richmond Folk Festival returns October 13-15, 2023, and celebrates its 19th anniversary, having become one of Virginia’s largest events. The beloved festival draws fans each year to downtown Richmond’s riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness, and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling, and food.
The free event hosts 200,000 people over a three-day weekend. Featuring six stages and showcasing music and dance from more than 30 performing groups from around the nation and the world, the Richmond Folk Festival today announces the first eight artists of what will once again make up a culturally diverse and artistically excellent program.
“We are looking forward to showcasing downtown Richmond’s ever-changing riverfront once again for a beautiful weekend of music, dance, food, and crafts with the James River and our city skyline as the perfect backdrop,” said Stephen Lecky, director of events at Venture Richmond. “This is the 19th year of the festival, and we couldn’t be more proud of its legacy in Richmond and across Virginia.”
The Richmond Folk Festival is presented by Venture Richmond Events in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), Virginia Humanities, Center for Cultural Vibrancy, Children’s Museum, and the City of Richmond.
Artists to be featured at the 2023 Richmond Folk Festival include:
Baba Commandant & the Mandingo Band (Mandinka) Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Bio Ritmo (salsa) Richmond, Virginia
Chuck Mead (rockabilly and honky-tonk) Nashville, Tennessee
Genticorum (Québécois) Montreal, Québec
Hālau ‘O Lilinoe (traditional Hawai’ian hula) Carson, California
Kala Ramnath (Hindustani violin) San Francisco, California
Melody Angel (Chicago blues) Chicago, Illinois
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (bluegrass) Charlestown, Indiana
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