Alexandria Police Department Crime and
Calls for Service Statistics
The Alexandria Police Department is reporting that serious crime decreased 7.3% in 2006. Crime dropped in three of the seven Part 1 crime categories. The decrease was predominantly driven by a large decrease in auto theft. Violent crime also decreased 4% in 2006. This decrease is due to a large decline in aggravated assaults.
Part I Crime Comparison
Historical Crime Data
With a growing population and expanding retail industry and office space, the opportunity for crime also increases. When looking at the levels of criminal activity over time, a more meaningful comparison can be gained by observing the crime statistics per 1,000 population (estimated to be 137,600 in 2006) during those years. The following table and graph clearly show a downward trend in Part I Crimes when they are expressed as a rate based on population. Reported Part I Crimes decreased 7.3% in 2006 over the previous year as did total Part I Crimes per 1,000 population (27 Part I Crimes per 1,000 residents). There were 56 Part I Crimes per 1,000 population in 1997 and 27 per 1,000 in 2006, a decrease of 51.7%.
Part I Crimes Per 1,000 Population 1997 - 2006
Interesting observations can be made when comparing the high and low points for individual crime types during the 10-year period from 1997 through 2006, as show below.
- From 1997 to 2006, homicides ranged from a high of seven in 1998 and to a low of two in 1995, 1999, 2002 and 2004.
- In 1997, there were 46 rapes. The 2006 total is 23 cases, a decrease of 50% from 1997 to 2006. The 10-year average for rapes is 27 per year.
- The 2006 total of 202 robberies is 2.5% higher than the 2005 total. During the last 10 years the high point for robberies was 1997, when 267 robberies were reported.
- Aggravated assaults reached a high point of 288 in 1997. The ten-year average is 204 per year.
- There were 389 burglaries reported in 2006. The high point for burglaries during the past 10 years was reached in 1997 with 819 break-ins.
- The 2006 total of 2,537 larcenies is 6% lower than the number reported in 2005 (2,699). During the last 10 years, larcenies reached a high point in 1997 when 4,363 thefts were reported. This change in larcenies is due to the large decrease in larcenies from autos and of auto parts.
- From 1997 to 2006, the high point for auto thefts was 1997, when there were 813 reports of auto theft. There were 380 auto thefts in 2006, a 25.9% decrease from the 513 cars stolen in 2005. The ten-year average for stolen autos is 672.
Type of Call Responding To 2005 2006 % Change Abandoned Auto 786 678 -13.7% Accident 6,437 6,143 -4.6% Alarm 5,539 5,756 3.9% Ambulance/Fire 856 850 -0.7% Animal Case 1,977 2,078 5.1% Assault 731 701 -4.1% Auto Theft 871 706 -18.9% Auto Theft Recovery 220 189 -14.1% Bomb Threat 9 12 33.3% Burglary 670 713 6.4% Citizen Assist 2,083 1,991 -4.4% Disorderly 5,733 5,565 -2.9% Domestic Trouble 2,991 2,710 -9.4% Drugs 802 842 5.0% Drunk 1,322 1,381 4.5% E911 Hang-up Calls 2,360 2,222 -5.8% Escort 109 72 -33.9% Fight 682 709 4.0% Homicide 1 1 0.0% Larceny 3,334 3,015 -9.6% Locked in Auto 58 60 3.4% Loud Party / Radio 167 236 41.3% Missing Person 373 346 -7.2% Noise Complaint 2,872 2,707 -5.7% Other 4,754 4,326 -9.0% Parking 4,588 4,624 0.8% Phone Calls 502 435 -13.3% Property Lost / Found 1,074 1,080 0.6% Prowler 48 34 -29.2% Public Service 737 666 -9.6% Robbery 233 241 3.4% Sex Offense 185 221 19.5% Suspicious Event 3,170 3,041 -4.1% Traffic Hazard 567 792 39.7% Traffic Problem 469 487 3.8% Trespass 693 736 6.2% Trouble Unknown 1,635 1,769 8.2% Vandalism 1,471 1,561 6.1% Weapon 438 472 7.8% Totals 61,547 60,168 -2.2%
Whether it is a citizen calling the police to report an accident or an alarm company notifying police of a commercial alarm, the Alexandria Police Department’s Communications Center handles thousands of calls each year for police assistance. A call for service is defined as a request for police service either by phone or in person that results in a police response, usually dispatched through Communications, or as a result of a referral to the Telephone Reporting Unit. In 2006, the Alexandria Police Department handled 60,168 calls for service, down 2.2% from 2005. The most frequent types of calls for service in 2004 were accidents calls (10.2%), alarm calls (9.6%) and disorderly conduct calls (9.2%).