Reported crimes declined in all major categories between 2024 and 2025 in Virginia, with some rates reaching five-year lows.
Paralleling similar decreases in Arlington, overall violent crime dropped by 6%, from 19,862 crimes in 2024 to 18,722 in 2025, according to a dashboard from Virginia State Police.
Reported homicides decreased by 14%, from 439 to 378 — the lowest number in the last five years. Aggravated assaults declined by 3%, robbery decreased by 9% and rape decreased by 16% compared to 2024.
Among property crimes, burglaries were down 18%, larceny was down 10% and motor vehicle thefts declined by 21%.
The only major increase was in the category of crimes related to pornography and obscene materials, which increased by 4%. Of 2,235 offenders in this category, 880 were under age 18.
Statewide, the number of full-time law enforcement employees also increased by about 4% between 2024 and 2025. Most of this increase was in the commonwealth’s counties, cities and towns, which upped staffing by a total of 710 personnel during the timeframe.
Last month, the Arlington County Police Department reported the county’s first decrease in overall crime since 2018, with reported serious offenses down 10.9%. Reversing a yearslong climb, the local decrease was largely driven by a drop in property crimes ranging from larceny to motor vehicle theft.
Property crimes, the most common type reported in Arlington, fell 14.9% in 2025, with about 1,287 fewer reported offenses than in 2024. Motor vehicle thefts were nearly cut in half, dropping to 222. Robberies fell 28%, and reported “larceny/theft offenses”— the single largest category of crime in the county — were down 14.4%, from 4,416 to 3,782.
In 2025, Arlington remained on the safer end compared to the rest of the state. Its rate of crimes against people was 934 per 100,000 residents, below Virginia’s rate of 1,215.
