By Brian Trompeter
Fairfax County officials pronounced themselves pleased that the jurisdiction continues to have the lowest violent-crime rate among the 70 large jurisdictions ranked by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, but a mid-year report released Sept. 6 by county police showed crime up in many categories.
Among the trouble spots: assaults, robberies, auto theft, carjackings, shoplifting and larcenies.
According to the report, which covered January through June 2023, there were 10 murders and 192 forcible-sex offenses – a reduction of two in both categories from the same period last year.
There were 299 aggravated assaults in the first six months of 2023, up 51 from the same period in 2022, and county police recorded 3,994 non-aggravated assaults, which exceeded last year’s mark by 473.
There were 164 burglary/breaking-and-entering offenses, three fewer than the same period in 2022. These included 75 commercial/pharmacy/office burglaries (down 22), 85 residential break-ins (up 20), no illegal entries of churches/synagogues/temples (there were four in the first six months of 2022) and one break-in at an elementary/secondary school (up from none last year).
County police reported 7,623 larceny/theft offenses, up 541 from the first six months of 2022. This category included 3,736 shoplifting cases (up 1,247), 1,067 thefts from motor vehicles (down 645) and 555 thefts of motor-vehicle parts (down 172).
There were 600 automobile thefts in the first six months of 2023, up 45 from last year.
From January to June 2023, there have been 220 robberies, up nine from last year during the same period. These included three bank robberies (down one from last year), 15 carjackings (up two), 47 commercial robberies (down 12), two home invasions (down seven) and 153 robberies of people (up 28).
Arrests were up in all listed categories in the first half of 2023. County police recorded 816 arrests for assaults on family members (up 114), 324 arrests for grand larcenies of $1,000 or more that were not from a person (up 81), 92 grand-larceny arrests for auto theft (up 26), 2,168 arrests for petit larceny of $1,000 or more not from a person (up 987), 74 arrests for robberies on or near streets (up 21) and 111 arrests for strangulation resulting in wounding/bodily injury (up 10).
County police issued 35,389 summonses in the first half of 2023 (not including those from the speed-camera program), which was 15,157 more than the same period last year.
Some good news? Traffic fatalities were down one-quarter in the first six months of this year, totaling 12 compared with last year’s 16. Driver fatalities stayed the same at three and passenger deaths held even at two.
There were three motorcycle fatalities (up from one last year) and four pedestrian deaths (down from 10 last year).
– Brian Trompeter
