Dear Richmond,

We love you, but we think it’s time for a friendly reminder. You were an extremely violent place in the 80s & 90s. But then you started cleaning yourself up. The result was an unprecedented 20 year resurgence, with a dramatic decline in violent crime. It’s amazing how far you’ve come.

But in the last few years, you seem intent on regressing back to your violent and unsafe past, especially in certain areas that are crime hotspots. Here’s the thing, you can’t accept unchecked violence and lawlessness if you want safe neighborhoods, well paying jobs, good schools and community re-investment. It seems you are heading down a dark path. But you already know this. You’ve been here before. Please straighten yourself out before the damage is done.

We love you, but it’s time to make a choice.

Love,

The DD