Violent crime is up in Richmond-area counties — and down in the city
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The number of violent crimes reported in Virginia counties is rising.
What's happening: "Crimes against persons" — a category that ranges from simple assault to murder — rose nearly 9% last year in Virginia counties, per Axios' analysis of Virginia State Police's most recent crime stats.
- In contrast, the figure dropped a fraction of a percent overall in the state's cities.
Why it matters: The trend runs counter to popular perception (and news coverage), which often portrays cities as hotbeds of violence.
By the numbers: Henrico saw the biggest jump in those crimes locally, reporting a 22% increase. Hanover County reported an 18% increase. And Chesterfield reported a 7% increase.
- Meanwhile, authorities in Richmond reported a 2% decrease.
Yes, but: Even after a significant decrease last year, Richmond's murder rate remains higher than all surrounding jurisdictions except Petersburg.
What they're saying: A spokeswoman for Henrico County Police, Karina Bolster, said the department had noticed an increase in the number of crimes involving firearms.
- "All of our homicides to date, and many of our robberies, involve a firearm of some kind," she said in an email. "The Division is currently using many resources to deter crime of this nature."
Zoom out: Other noteworthy trends captured in this year's crime report include a plummeting burglary rate and a surge in motor vehicle thefts.
- The number of burglaries in the state dropped from 15,000 in 2018 to just under 11,000 last year.
- The trend was reversed when it came to car thefts, which jumped from just over 11,000 in 2021 to more than 14,000 in 2022.
Between the lines: Jay Albanese, a criminal justice professor at VCU's Wilder School, said the decrease in burglaries makes sense in the context of the pandemic, which touched off a dramatic increase in the number of people working from home.
- That left would-be burglars with fewer opportunities.
He called the increase in car thefts counterintuitive given modern security measures built into cars.
- The so-called Kia challenge aside, local police have typically attributed the increase to a low-tech problem: people leaving their keys in their car.