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%).