PORTSMOUTH, Va. — For years, Dale Homes made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Now, this Portsmouth neighborhood is writing a different story.
The community has gone more than 300 days without a violent crime, according to the Portsmouth Police Department's Crime and Gun Violence Dashboard, a milestone that residents and community leaders say is proof that change is possible.
"To be able to celebrate with our kids and stuff, to be out here, it feels great," said Requan Faison, a lifelong Dale Homes resident.
Faison knows better than most what this neighborhood has been through. He grew up in this neighborhood and carried the weight of its violence firsthand.
"I was shot out here eight times," he said.
Today, Faison is part of the solution. He now works alongside community violence intervention groups, using music as a tool to connect with and mentor at-risk youth in the neighborhood.
Darrel Redmond, founder of the nonprofit Give Back 2 Da Block and a member of the Portsmouth Police Department's community-based violence intervention group Portsmouth United, says the drop in crime is no accident.
"Violence is predictable, but it's also preventable," Redmond said. "When you are able to engage high-risk participants, those people that are at the highest risk to be shooters or to be shot, and engage them, offer them opportunities, then that's the start."
Redmond's team operates with a targeted approach, working directly in Portsmouth neighborhoods during the hours when violence is most likely to occur.
"We have a team that works from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., because that's the time that we know that violence is at its highest peak," he said.
Dale Homes is not the only neighborhood seeing results. According to Redmond, the same community-based model is being applied across Portsmouth. Below are the top neighborhoods where gun violence is most prevalent. These numbers are from the Portsmouth Police Department's Crime and Gun Violence Dashboard. These numbers for days without violent crimes, such as shootings, are from March 5, 2026.
- Dale Homes — 300+ days without violent crime
- London Oaks — Nearly 150 days
- Southside — 99 days
- Prentis Park — 64 days
The progress reflects a broader investment in communities that have historically been underserved, Redmond says.
"We know that in life, when a person's need isn't met, they go into survival mode, and once you're in survival mode, you don't consciously think," he said.
With Dale Homes approaching an even bigger milestone in 60 days without having a violent crime, Redmond says the mission remains the same. Bring resources directly to residents, not the other way around.
Workforce development, mental health services, and youth programming are among the tools being deployed in these neighborhoods, with the goal of addressing root causes rather than just responding to crime after it happens.
Redmond's message to anyone on the sidelines: stop watching and start helping.
"The way to become a part of this solution is to jump on board," he said. "Come inside. Hear our pain."
