All but one of the Fairfax County Police Department’s major crime statistics dropped in 2025, according to police data released this week.
Rates of carjackings (down 48%), non-fatal shootings (37%), burglaries (27%), robberies (19%), shoplifting (11%), sex offenses (11%), vehicle theft (10%) and homicides (7%) all saw a year-over-year drop, Police Chief Kevin Davis told the Board of Supervisors’ Safety and Security Committee on Tuesday (March 10).
“There’s so many who will articulate that they feel that crime is rampant in this community, this data shows we do not have a crime problem here in Fairfax County,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, who chairs the committee, said.
“It also shows that the policies, programs and the decisions that we are making here in Fairfax County are also making a difference as it relates to public safety for our community.”
Davis noted that the FCPD’s success stems in part from the work of other community services, such as hospital personnel who prevent non-fatal shootings from becoming homicides.
“Thank God for the trauma system in Fairfax County and the hospitals who treat these victims in these patients,” he said.
The only category that saw an increase was aggravated assaults (up 11%), which Davis attributes to the department’s knowledge of the state law criminalizing strangulation.
“I think our police officers [and] our detectives are paying attention to the elements of strangulation and classifying it as such, and that makes it an automatic aggravated assault,” Davis said. “That’s probably a good thing, that we’re paying attention in that way.”
Traffic crimes — including motor vehicle deaths — also plummet
In 2025, Fairfax County also saw fewer crimes committed on its roadways year-over-year, including a decrease of more than 50% in motor vehicle deaths.
Those deaths are down 53%, Davis said, while pedestrian deaths are down 20%.
Davis noted that arrests for drivers suspected of being under the influence ticked up by 8%, and the number of citations issued grew by 42%.
“It remains probably the number one conversation that I have with folks across the county,” he said. “… We’re looking for people who engage in that type of driving behavior [of] following too closely, speeding, unsafe lane changes and distracted driving.”
The FCPD announced yesterday (Wednesday) that its officers will step up patrols focused on impaired driving enforcement this month, as the warmer weather and events like St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness encourage more travel and social gatherings.
“These events can lead to more impaired driving incidents, particularly during evenings and late-night hours when people gather to watch games or attend celebrations,” the department said.
Photo via FCPD/Flickr
