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Violent Crime in Virginia Up Last Year

Virginia State Police

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A new report says violent crime was up slightly and property crime decreased in Virginia in 2015.

According to the Virginia State Police report released Thursday, violent crime increased by less than 1 percent from the previous year. Violent crime includes murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Homicides alone increased from 337 to 382, an increase of 13.4 percent.

The property crime category includes burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. Those crimes were down a little more than 2 percent. 

Drug offenses were virtually unchanged.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.