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Arlington seeks to expand mental health court program to some felony cases

By Scott McCaffrey
A gavel sits on the judge's bench inside an Arlington County Circuit Court courtroom (courtesy Arlington County Sheriff's Office)

County Board members took action on Saturday (Oct. 17) that could lead to expansion of a court program focused on offenders with mental illnesses.

The county is submitting a proposal to state officials for a behavioral health docket within the county’s circuit court. If approved by the Virginia Supreme Court, the post-plea program will serve some individuals charged with felony offenses who are suffering from serious mental illness or a combination of mental illness and developmental disabilities.

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How Rosslyn’s ‘Dead Man’s Hollow’ earned a reputation for tragedy and gruesome crime

By Scott McCaffrey
Narrow rocky creek winding through a dense green forest, with branches overhanging the water.
Dead Man's Hollow today (via Arlington Historical Society)

A wooded inlet known as “Dead Man’s Hollow” once carried a reputation for gruesome and bizarre occurrences near present-day Rosslyn.

Local historian Michael Schaffner shared his research on the notorious place, located northwest of what is now Gateway Park, at a recent Arlington Historical Society event. He delved into available records to see if it lived up to its reputation as sometimes being the site of a murder a month or even more frequently.

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Police break up teen crowd at Ballston Quarter, make arrests at Crystal City bowling alley and in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
Night city street at night with blue police lights flashing near a glass-fronted building outlined in blue neon; pedestrians on the sidewalk.2
Police response to reported fight and crowds at Ballston Quarter (courtesy anonymous)

Fights broke out as police and mall security cleared a large group of teens out of Ballston Quarter on Friday night.

Officers were dispatched to the 4200 block of Wilson Blvd shortly after 9 p.m. Friday (Oct. 9) to help security get the group off the property, according to preliminary incident summaries the Arlington County Police Department provided to ARLnow.

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Crime report: Gunfire in Glencarlyn Park, teen attacked on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

Witnesses found evidence of gunfire in Glencarlyn yesterday (Sunday) after hearing loud noises overnight.

Officers called to the 300 block of S. Harrison Street around 12:25 p.m. confirmed evidence of shots being fired, police said.

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Virginia crime declined across the board in 2025, new state data shows

By Dan Egitto
A police officer keeps watch during Walk and Bike to School Day 2012 at Oakridge Elementary School (staff photo)

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.

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News

Man charged with beating victim with combination lock in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car outside police headquarters (file photo)

A 57-year-old Arlington man is facing a felony charge after police say he beat someone he knows with a combination lock Sunday afternoon.

The alleged incident happened in a residential building on the 2000 block of 14th Street N., a block away from Arlington County police headquarters in Courthouse.

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Arlington GOP to oppose abortion access, other Virginia ballot measures

By Scott McCaffrey
An anti-abortion protest in Clarendon in 2018 (file photo)

Arlington Republicans have voted to oppose three state constitutional amendments in November, focusing most efforts on fighting a measure to codify abortion access.

After some debate and a voice vote on Monday night, the county GOP opted to oppose three ballot measures that would provide formal constitutional support for reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and voting rights for felons.

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Nine car windows smashed in Forest Glen, vehicle parts stolen from Tesla dealership

By ARLnow.com
File photo

The driver’s-side windows of nine vehicles were smashed in the Forest Glen neighborhood early Sunday morning, police say.

Officers found the damaged vehicles in the 700 block of S. Florida Street, a few blocks north of Columbia Pike, after being called out around 4:15 a.m. on June 21. A witness saw three suspects try to force their way into a 10th vehicle and flee when they couldn’t get in, according to the Arlington County Police Department.

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News

Increased traffic enforcement drove 43% uptick in Arlington DUI arrests

By Scott McCaffrey
Police Chief Andy Penn at a 2026 budget work session (screenshot via Arlington County)

A 43% uptick in arrests for intoxicated driving across Arlington last year likely was due, at least in part, to increased enforcement efforts.

“Our midnight [shift] folks really focused on driving while intoxicated to make sure that we’re keeping our roads safe,” Police Chief Andy Penn told Arlington County Civic Federation delegates on June 9.

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News

Many Virginians’ criminal convictions about to be sealed under ‘Clean Slate’ law

By Dan Egitto
Flags flying in the wind at Arlington County's justice center in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A Virginia law going into effect on July 1 will seal the criminal records of many people convicted of low-level offenses.

The commonwealth’s “Clean Slate” law is expected to automatically seal over 100,000 criminal records of Virginians who were once convicted of misdemeanors such as shoplifting, trespassing and distributing marijuana, but who haven’t reoffended in the past seven years. This will make make housing providers and many employers unable to access such records via criminal background checks.

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Arlington crime dropped in 2025, the first decline since 2018

By ARLnow.com
An ACPD officer at a crime scene (file photo)

Crime in Arlington fell last year for the first time since 2018, with reported serious offenses down 10.9% — largely driven by a drop in property crimes ranging from larceny to motor vehicle theft.

The decline, detailed in the police department’s annual report published yesterday (Wednesday), reverses a yearslong climb. ARLnow flagged the drop in December using preliminary numbers.

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