Arrests for Violent Crimes, Car Theft Declines in 2012

Arrests for violent crimes decreased 3 percent in Virginia in 2012 when compared to 2011, according to a recent report from the Virginia State Police, and the trend is reflected here in Alexandria.

Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

In the City of Alexandria 2012, there were zero arrests for murder, four arrests for forcible sexual assault, 54 arrests for robbery (seven of those were juveniles) and 50 arrests for aggravated assault (just one was a juvenile).

All of those are decreases from 2011:

These numbers put the City of Alexandria at historic crime lows.

“The reductions in crime and continued improvements to the quality of life in our neighborhoods are a direct result of the quality, hard work and dedication of our sworn, civilian and volunteer staff," said Chief of Police Earl L. Cook in a release. "Additionally, our strong partnerships with the community, Commonwealth’s Attorney Office and other City agencies play an integral part of the successful reduction in crime."

Property Crimes

Property crimes (burglaries, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts) decreased more than 3 percent across the commonwealth.

Motor vehicle thefts specifically decreased 8 percent across Virginia, according to the Virginia State Police, in 2012. They do tend to increase in the summer months, when people may leave their windows open (making it easier for would-be criminals to gain access).

In Alexandria, motor vehicle theft arrests increased from 2011. In 2012, there were 29 arrests for motor vehicle theft compared to just 13 in 2011.

However, larceny arrests were down significantly from 2011 to 2012 in Alexandria. Alexandria police reported 328 arrests for larceny in 2012, down from 387 in 2011.

Burglary arrests remained relatively stead with 35 in 2012 and 33 in 2011.

Read more about 2012 crime trends across Virginia here from the Virginia State Police.

See complete data from 2011 here.