Virginia State Police released its 2023 Crime in Virginia report, which provided extensive local and statewide data on crime statistics.
The report's data separates crimes into two groups: serious offenses, which include violent crimes, property crimes and drug offenses, and less serious offenses, such as trespassing and disorderly conduct, according to a release from state police.
The data below mainly addresses Group A offenses.
Here are some of the highlights included in VSP's report:
Violent crime (i.e., murder, forcible sex offenses, robbery and aggravated assault)
- The violent crime rate increased by 1.3% in 2023 from 2022.
- 43.1% of robberies and 34.4% of aggravated assault cases involved firearms.
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Hampton Roads 2024 Homicide Tracker
Homicide
- Reported homicides decreased by 16.3%, reaching 621 in 2022 and declining to 520 in 2023.
- Young men (aged 18 to 34) make up a large percentage of homicide victims (40.6%) and offenders (48.8%).
- Almost half (48.5%) of homicides happened at homes.
- Firearms were involved in 83.3% of homicides.
Watch more: Man killed in Newport News shooting at Roanoke Ave. & 31st St.
Motor vehicle thefts
- Compared to last year, 2023 saw an 8% increase in motor vehicle thefts.
- A total of 15,320 vehicles were stolen in 14,859 offenses.
- 9,113 stolen vehicles were found, which may include stolen vehicles from past years.
- Over a third (34%) of the vehicles were stolen from victims' homes.
- The total value of the stolen vehicles was $203,165,572.
Drug arrests
- Drug arrests increased by 18% in 2023, compared to 2022.
- There was a 51% increase in drug arrests for minors.
- Police confiscation of cocaine, crack cocaine and narcotics increased by 43%, 39% and 42%, respectively.
Burglary
- Burglaries and attempted burglaries decreased by 3.3% in 2023, compared to 2022.
- Over the past decade, burglaries have steadily reduced, with only a small spike in 2022.
Watch: Students assaulted, shot fired during armed burglary: ODU Police
Fraud
- From 2022 to 2023, fraud offenses grew by 2.7%.
- 75.7% of fraud offenses were committed against individuals.
- Offenses against businesses made up 16.4%.
- Those over 65 years old made up 24.1% of the fraud victims.
Watch similar coverage: Chesapeake men gets 7 years for robbing postal carrier, bank fraud
Hate crimes
- Hate crime increased by 48.9% since last year.
- A total of 325 victims encountered 271 separate incidents of hate crime. In the 271 separate incidents, 275 offenses were involved.
- Hate crime offenses include simple assault, tampering with property, intimidation, aggravated assault, and others.
- Simple assault and aggravated assault made up 76.3% of the incidents.
- Hate crimes motivated by race or ethnicity bias made up 66.4%, which also increased by 72.2% since last year.
- Hate crimes involving "bias against religion" surged by 177.8%.
To see Virginia State Police's full report, click here.
