Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - A new crime report released Tuesday by Virginia State Police (VSP) shows violent crime across Virginia has continued to rise.
The report, which contains statistics from 2023, was created by the Data Analytics and Reporting Team (DART) of VSP.
According to the report, the statewide overall crime rate increased from 203 crimes per 100,000 people in 2022 to 207.5 in 2023. There were 20,824 violent crime offenses reported in 2023 in comparison to the 20,549 violent crime offenses reported in 2022 – a 1.3% increase.
Violent crimes are defined in the report as murder, forcible sex offenses (rape, sodomy and sexual assault with an object), robbery and aggravated assault.
At the same time, homicides decreased significantly by over 16% throughout the year. Motor vehicle thefts and attempted thefts increased by 8 percent.
Almost half (48.5%) of all homicides occurred at a residence/home, with both the victims and offenders tending to be younger males between the ages of 18 and 34. Firearms were the most common known weapon reported for violent crimes, used in 83.3% of homicides and 43.1% of robberies.
The most significant percent increase in hate crimes from 2022 to 2023 involved bias against religion (177.8%) and was followed by bias against race/ethnicity (72.2%).
To see the full “Crime in Virginia” report, visit this link.
