Crime in Virginia
Crime in the U.S. state of Virginia has generally decreased from 2008 to 2014.
Summary
Overall, there were 177,060 crimes reported in 2014 in Virginia, including 338 murders and homicides.[1]
In 2012 Virginia had the 3rd-lowest rape rate by state after New Jersey and New York.[1][2]
The state has significantly lower crime rates than demographically similar neighboring states Maryland, North Carolina, and Tennessee.[3]
By location
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads had the highest crime rate by region in the state.[3]
Richmond
In 2012, Richmond had 42 murders, a murder rate of 20.2 per 100,000.[4]
In 2007 the FBI Uniform Crime Reports ranked Richmond as the 5th worst city for violent crimes with populations of 100,000 to 250,000.[5] Today Richmond is not in the top 25 of violent crime or murder.[6]
Capital punishment laws
Capital punishment is applied in this state. Both the electric chair and lethal injection are used to execute prisoners.[7]
State and federal officials may opt to send violent criminals to face trial in Virginia rather than their current state due to Virginia judges being more willing to carry out execution.[8]
When the “Beltway sniper” was arrested for 10 killings in the Washington area in 2002, federal authorities opted to send him to Virginia for prosecution even though most of the shootings took place in suburban Maryland.[8]
See also
References
- "Virginia Crime Rates 1960 - 2014". DisasterCenter.com. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- "List: States where rape is most common". CNN.
- "Crime". Virginia.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-11-07. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
- "Virginia State Police - Crime in Virginia Publication". www.vsp.state.va.us. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- https://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/index.html
- "Table 6". fbi.gov. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- Jim Iovino (2009-11-10). "Facts about Virginia's Death Row". NBC Washington. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
- Savage, David. "California killer faces Virginia execution". Los Angeles Times.