Richmond Free Press November 15-17, 2018 Edition

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Richmond Free Press © 2018 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

VOL. 27 NO. 46

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

www.richmondfreepress.com

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Former First Lady tells her story in bestseller

November 15-17, 2018

‘I’m done’

Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham announces his last day on the force will be Dec. 31

tenure or sustained public uproar over police shootings. As part of his efforts to go beyond policing, Chief Durham “I’m done. I don’t have another position waiting.” expanded department efforts into community programs and emSo said Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham after publicly braced private efforts, such as the basketball program run by the announcing Tuesday he will retire effective Sunday, Dec. 31. RVA League for Safer Streets. His decision will cost the city a chief who seemed to work “We’re public servants,” he once said in spelling out the day and night and stumped through Richmond neighborhoods philosophy he sought to live by and worked to get his officers like a political candidate in his quest to reduce crime. to embrace. “I tell my folks — and I am very adamant about During his tenure, Chief Durham equipped officers with body this — if you don’t have a servant’s heart, maybe you’re in the cameras and expanded training in diversity and de-escalating wrong business. We have to care about people.” tense encounters. He also was a tough taskmaster who demanded Still, Chief Durham is looking forward to spending more officers meet high standards. time with his family and leaving behind the He created a special unit to patrol public stress of the job. “It has been both an housing communities and worked with outside Known for speaking directly and respondpartners, from neighboring police departments incredibly challenging and ing as honestly as he could, he told those who and the State Police to the Attorney General’s rewarding career for me.” asked that he usually got little sleep. His rest Office. He also ensured officers and detectives was often interrupted by calls or by a flood — Chief Durham worked closely with city prosecutors. of fresh ideas. One constant stress was the He was the first to defend Richmond ofchallenge of manpower. ficers facing what he considered unwarranted public criticism. Just a few days before Tuesday’s announcement, Chief DurBut he also quietly fired more that 25 officers that internal ham was worried about the department’s continuing struggles investigations showed were abusive or who had committed to reach its authorized strength and the increasing difficulties serious infractions. that his successor could face. Chief Durham will leave behind a department that remains In comments to a South Side audience last week, he said the short-handed, but has won national recognition for solving ho- department is authorized for 754 officers, but that week could Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press micides, dealing with protests and securing the public’s trust. deploy only 658 sworn personnel, including detectives and other In this photo, Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham Unlike Baltimore, St. Louis, Cleveland and Chicago, Richmond specialists, to handle the daily flood of calls for service. contemplates his new post on Feb. 18, 2015, shortly after has not faced widespread accusations of police abuse during his Each week, the department receives between 4,000 and taking over leadership of the city Police Department. 6,000 calls. He said the department has fewer officers in part because some on the rolls are recruits in training; others are recovering from injury, are away serving in the military, are facing discipline or are on other kinds of leave. But the main reason for the diminished strength, he said, involves the departure of officers for better-paying opportunities. that have not been finalized, so we were for council consideration, but we are not “We’ve already lost 50 officers this year due to retirements By Jeremy M. Lazarus not ready to submit ordinances. there yet,” Mr. Nolan stated Wednesday in and resignations, and I have 10 more people who will retire or A marketing campaign to sell the “Once we have concluded negotiations response to a Free Press query. resign by the end of the year,” he said. public on the $1.4 billion plan to reshape to the city’s satisfaction, the administraDowntown and develop a new Coliseum tion will prepare and submit ordinances Please turn to A4 Please turn to A4 is in full swing, even though the legislation to support the plan is still incomplete and has not been sent to Richmond City Council. Representatives of the developers, NH Foundation and NH District Corp., are setting up public meetings to showcase through 16 as “Kindness Week” in the proposal. By Ronald E. Carrington Richmond. Initial public meetings are scheduled This is a special week for Binford “I was so shocked. I didn’t know it for 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at the Main Middle School student Jalia Hardy. would become official,” Jalia said MonLibrary, 101 E. Franklin St.; 3:30 p.m. The 13-year-old won the statewide day in an Free Press interview. She was Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Westover Hills “If I Were Mayor” essay contest dur- featured in early April as the Free Press Branch Library 1408 Westover Hills Blvd.; ing the spring sponsored by the Vir- Personality for her winning state essay. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Hull ginia Municipal League that challenged Jalia said she didn’t think her essay Street Branch Library, 1400 Hull St. seventh-graders to describe what they and idea were a big deal until she reStill Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson, would do if they were mayor of their ceived a call from Richmond City Hall 6th District, and several other City Council hometown. and met with Mayor Stoney in July. He members called it unusual for the public In addition to her focus on the city’s liked the concept, she said, and wanted discussions to begin before anyone sees economy and its young people, Jalia wrote to establish Kindness Week. the ordinances that would spell out the that she would start an annual “Kindness “I was so excited,” Jalia said. details of the proposal. Week,” a time when “people just give “Kindness Week is just one helpful Mayor Levar M. Stoney indicated compliments and help each other, even reminder of how we should treat each when he unveiled the proposal on Nov. if they don’t know the person they are other 365 days a year,” Mayor Stoney 1 that he would introduce the legislation helping.” stated in an email. at Tuesday’s council session, but that did From the kindness of the Mayor’s Office Thanks to a proclamation by Richmond “I hope residents take advantage of not happen. Mayor Levar M. Stoney presents Binford Middle School The reason, according to Jim Nolan, student Jalia Hardy with a handmade sign after signing Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Jalia’s idea has this week to recognize how much better spokesman for the mayor: “We are still a proclamation declaring Nov. 12 through 16 “Kindness become a reality. Please turn to A4 Mayor Stoney designated Nov. 12 negotiating aspects of the NH proposal Week” in Richmond. By Jeremy M. Lazarus

City Council members not embracing new location for Social Services building

Teen’s idea for Kindness Week comes to fruition in Richmond

Jones gets pushback on renaming South Side center By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Ninth District City Councilman Michael J. Jones has put on hold his proposal to rename the Southside Community Center for Richmond area entertainer Lonnie Battle, a.k.a. DJ Lonnie B. Without explanation, Dr. Jones did not allow legislation to rename the recreation and community center on Old Warwick Road to be introduced at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, just days after receiving pushback on the proposal from constituents at his district meeting. Six weeks ago, Dr. Jones made it seem the renaming was a “done deal” when he met with Mr. Battle on the DJ’s birthday to tell him about the renaming plan. In an Oct. 18 Facebook post of the meeting, Dr. Jones can be heard telling Mr. Battle that he has secured the five votes needed to win approval and “now we just need to go DJ Lonnie B through the (council) process.” At his Nov. 8 district meeting, Dr. Jones told constituents that he would introduce the proposal at the Nov. 13 City Council meeting. He also defended the proposal as way to generate private donations to beef up programs at the center, which he said has not received the level of funding needed from the city. While declining to offer any names of potential donors or

indicate the level of donations that might come in, Dr. Jones told the audience that he had received pledges from private companies to contribute if the building is named for Mr. Battle. He said he was inspired to go this route after visiting the Carmelo Anthony House in Baltimore and learning about their programs and the amount of private support the center receives because of its connection with the NBA basketball star who grew up there. Dr. Jones said the South Side center has yet to reach its potential, but would have a better chance to gain financial sup-

port by naming the building for the DJ who grew up near the center and has gone on to a stellar career, though he now lives in Chesterfield County. However, at the district meeting, Dr. Jones heard from constituents who were not happy about changing the center’s name. Jayla Townes, a Richmond high school sophomore who lives in the district and supports the center, appeared to sum up what many in the room were thinking. Please turn to A4

Thanksgiving food, fellowship at area events By Ronald E. Carrington

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and fellowship. But it also can be a stressful and lonely time for others. Several Richmond area organizations and churches are helping by providing Thanksgiving turkeys and dinners to area residents. Several holiday meal providers also are welcoming additional volunteers

— cooks, turkey carvers, servers and greeters, table designers, transportation and general helpers — to assist at various locations. Vicki Neilson, founder and executive director of The Giving Heart, one of the largest Thanksgiving programs in the area, asked for donations of food or dollars to help defray the cost of the annual event that feeds more than 2,400 people on Thanksgiving Day at the Greater Richmond

Convention Center. This year’s Community Thanksgiving Feast will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 22, in the Exhibition Hall at the convention center, 403 N. 3rd St. in Downtown. The feast will include turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, vegetables, rolls and dessert. Free parking is available in the garage Please turn to A4


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