Police Say Violent Crime on the Rise in Virginia, Most Crimes Committed on Saturday Nights

Cars and police gather around Altria Theater, the site of a shooting at the Huguenot High School graduation, in Richmond, Va., on June 6, 2023. (Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

A report published on June 9 by the Virginia State Police shows that nearly all types of violent crime are up from the previous year, and more violent crimes occurred on Saturday nights than on any other day of the week.

The “Crime in Virginia” report (pdf), which was compiled by the state police data analysis and reporting team, shows that there were 17,655 violent crimes reported in 2022 compared to 16,823 in 2021, a 5 percent statewide increase.

The report divides crimes into two categories: Group A for serious offenses, including violent crimes, and Group B for what are considered less serious crimes, including trespassing, disorderly conduct, and liquor law violations where an arrest has occurred.

(Courtesy of Virginia State Police Report 2022)

Violent crimes include murder, forcible sex offenses, robbery, and aggravated assault.

The number of reported murders increased from 562 in 2021 to 621 in 2022, a 10.5 percent increase. The ages of murder victims and perpetrators tended to be younger men—males between the ages of 18 and 34—making up a total of 42.7 percent of homicide victims and 52.2 percent of homicide offenders.

A little over half—52.1 percent—of these homicides occurred at a residence, police said.

A national study from WalletHub reported that four Virginia cities—Richmond, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk—were among the top 45 in the United States with the highest homicide rate increase.

Theft and Fraud

Motor vehicle thefts and attempted thefts increased by 21.9 percent compared to 2021. The total value of all motor vehicles stolen in 2022 was $201,069,627, according to the department’s calculations.

Of all motor vehicles stolen in 2022, 33.9 percent were taken from the victims’ homes. Like the murders, the majority of auto thefts were carried out by males aged 18 to 34 years.

Burglary and attempted burglary increased by 3.8 percent between 2021 and 2022, which is the first time burglaries increased in over 10 years. In 2021, there were 10,464 burglaries and attempted burglaries whereas in 2022 there were 10,860.

(Courtesy of Virginia State Police Report 2022)

In addition, fraud offenses increased by 9.9 percent compared to 2021 and were committed primarily against senior citizens at a rate of 22.5 percent. Over three-quarters of victims—77.8 percent—were individuals, and 13.6 percent were businesses.

Firearms were used in 81.6 percent of homicides, 44.6 percent of robberies, and a little over one-third of aggravated assault cases, at 37.5 percent.

Hate crimes targeting businesses or religious organizations increased 48 percent compared to 2021, and 64.6 percent of those crimes were racially or ethnically motivated.

The Norfolk Police Department found that from Jan. 1 to October 3, 2022, 1,226 incidents of auto theft were reported across the entire city, WTKR reported. However, in that same time frame in 2021, just 719 incidents were reported.

The Norfolk police chief said in July 2022 that the department was utilizing cameras to read license plates to mitigate the rise in car theft, 13 News Now reported.

In addition, Virginia’s Attorney General Jason Miyares announced an initiative earlier this year to help reduce violent crimes in some of these jurisdictions.

Miyares’ office is partnering with local elected officials and law enforcement for “Operation Ceasefire,” an initiative targeting the commonwealth’s most violent cities with the same approach used in Richmond to address violent criminal activity among serious and repeat offenders.

“The OAG will also be hiring 2–3 Group Violence Intervention Coordinators to promote proven group violence intervention strategies, coordinate resources, work with law enforcement, and develop relationships with the community to promote the implementation of evidence-based practices to reduce and prevent, violent gun and gang crimes,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement.