NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk Police Department announced Wednesday that it has recorded the largest annual decrease and lowest total number of reported violent crimes in 17 years.
Courtesy of the Norfolk Police Department
This is one of four milestones the department celebrated in 2017.
In 2017, there was a 19 percent reduction in violent crimes reported: 1,194 incidents compared to the 1,481 crimes reported in 2016. Last year saw the largest one-year decrease of violent crime since 2000.
Property crimes also dropped from 10,522 to 9,192 – a 13 percent reduction – in 2017. This decrease produced the largest one-year reduction since 2006.
Norfolk Police said that violent crime is currently at its lowest in almost two decades.
“Last year was our safest year in seventeen years,” said Norfolk Police Chief Larry D. Boone. “Despite these numbers, we as a City still have a lot of work to do; however, I am pleased in the direction we are going. As we move forward into 2018, we will continue to strengthen our community relationships, emphasizing the shared responsibility on the safety of our city. I am honored to be the Chief of Police of this department, and I am proud of my team and the community who have all played a part in keeping Norfolk safe.”
