The Public Safety Standing Committee convened on March 24, 2026, to consider several ordinances, receive public comments, and hear updates from the Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA), the Civilian Review Board (CRB), and the Richmond Police Department (RPD). The meeting featured emotional testimony from citizens on retiree benefits, pedestrian safety, business closures, and first responder protection, as well as presentations on crime statistics, ambulance funding, and civilian oversight progress.
Good afternoon. We were now called to order this meeting of the public safety standing committee. I will now begin by reading the chamber emergency evacuation announcements and public speaker guidelines. Upon activation of the emergency alarm signal, all persons should immediately exit the building. Please use the exit to the left, right, or front of the council chamber or the east or west stairware outside of the rear doors of the chamber. Do not use elevators or escalators. After exiting the building, security would direct everyone down ninth street to the assembly area located inside the former public safety building parking lot. Able persons should assist visually inheriting pay visitors with exiting the building. Persons wish to speak during a public comment period or public hearings are generally allowed three minutes to speak. Persons appearing before the committee are not allowed to campaign for public office, promote private business ventures, use language or personal nature, which is also demeans any person, including comments directed at public officials or staff members that are not related to the official duties, or just to question staff members directly. All questions need to be directed to the committee chair, fair to hear to the guidelines, may resort in speakers forfeiting any and many time, and further disciplinary action as necessary, which can include barring from attendance at future means of the committee for a period of six months. Public comment will follow after item one ordinance twenty twenty-six zero fifty-seven to accept funds of two hundred and twenty-five thousand three hundred and eighty-eight dollars from the Department of Criminal Justice Services and to appropriate the increase of the FY twenty-six special fund budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriate to Department of Police Police Operations Ceasefire Special Fund for the purpose of improving community safety. Item two, ordinance twenty twenty-six zero fifty-eight to amend ordinance number twenty twenty-five zero fifty-seven, which adopted the FY26 special fund budget by increasing anticipated revenues by two million dollars from certain fines and fees collected from the safety camera program, creating a new special fund for the Department of Police entitled the Safety Camera Program Special Fund for the purpose of funding the safety camera program envisioned zero action plan and item four ordinance twenty twenty-six zero seventy-two to accept funds off of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and to amend the FY twenty-six special fund budget by creating a new special fund for the Department of Emergency Communications Preparedness and Response called the FY26 NG 911 additional funding special fund for the purpose of implementing a transcription service for radio transmission. Those papers are before the committee and will be considered in a block. Do we have anyone that would like to provide the committee with any description of the following papers? Good afternoon, Chair Trammell. Rick Edwards, the chief of police for the city of Richmond. I'll speak to ordinance 26-057. This funding will be used from DCGS by RPD to assist in violent crime overtime. We'll also be utilizing that to hire a gun violence analyst and send officers to additional training to combat gun violence. Particularly, as I mentioned before, we have a program starting on Friday called Spring Forward, where we will have additional officers in high crime neighborhoods during RPS's spring break over that 10-day period to ensure our youth are safe and sound during that specific time period. Happy to answer any questions related to this specific topic. Just one question. Chief, how many officers are you are you on staff right now? We have 604 sworn officers. How many? 604. And how many you're supposed to have? We're authorized strength is 755. Thank you. No more question. Thank you. Is there anyone from the city administration I would like to provide the committee with a description of item for item four? What the purpose of item four? Jackie Krautz, Deputy Director for the Technology Division, Emergency Communications Preparedness Response. For me, no. Do you have any questions? Just one question. Is there going to be since you're using AI to transcribe? Is there going to be a human element that reviews those transcriptions to ensure accuracy? The transcriptions is going to be able to the communication officer will be able to review the transcriptions and basically if they miss something, they can go back and they can search and pick up a word or whatever was maybe missed. And correct it. Would not necessarily correct it, but basically reinforce what they heard. Okay. Okay, thank you. All right, we would now move on to the public hearing for these items. Is there anyone that would like to speak in support of item one, two, or four? State anyone that would like to speak in opposition of items one, two, and four. Seeing none of the public hearing is now closed, bring it back to the committee. Did anyone from city administration provide a description for item two ordinance 2026 058, or was that for only 2026 057?