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Richmond Sees Homicides Drop To 43-Year Low

There were 11 homicides in Richmond in 2014, lowest since 1971.

Richmond has seen its homicide rate drop to the lowest level seen since 1971.

What's the secret?

Community policing, cops in the once-violent East Bay city say. And better decisions by its youths, according to activists and city employees tasked with defusing conflicts that once turned deadly.

The trend has been way down since a recent high of 47 homicides in 2009, the biggest number since the all-time peak of 62 homicides in 1990.

There were 16 in 2013, and eleven in 2014, according to the Bay Area News Group.

That's a positive trend, and the envy of some nearby tonier places: By comparison, nearby Concord had five homicides, the highest number since 2011.

In addition to police involved and invested with community members, Richmond is also managing to convince youths "previously involved in gang violence" to make "better decisions about how they negotiate everyday conflicts," the newspaper reported.

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