PWC Police: Overall Crime Rate at 15-Year Low; Violent Crimes Increased in 2014

The Prince William County Police Department 2014 Crime Statistics Report indicates a 9.4 percent decrease in the number of Index crimes and an overall crime rate of 14.5, which represents a 15-year low.

The 2014 overall crime rate considers the number of crimes per 1,000 residents. There were 12,532 total arrests in 2014: 11,336 adults and 1,196 juveniles.

While violent crime increased 7.3 percent (480-525 incidents), police said it continues to represent a small portion, 8.4 percent of the total crime in the County.

“I am pleased to report a continued downward trend in the crime rate. Although the crime rate has declined, the number of violent crimes increased this past year," Chief Steve Hudson said. "As is always the case, we must continue to be diligent in addressing crime in collaboration with the community and our strategic partners.”

Property crime, which is the category most often reported on BristowBeat.com and represents 91.6% of Index Crimes, also decreased from 6,274 to 5,604, a 10.7% drop from the previous year. This includes a 9.5% decrease in the number of burglaries and a 10.9% decrease in the number of larcenies reported.

Motor vehicle thefts also dropped 8.7% in 2014, which continues a downward trend.

Closure rates of cases for violent crime (71.5%) and property crime (23.5%) is above the 2013 national averages. The national average is 48.1% for violent crime and 19.7% for property crime.

There were six murder cases in Prince William County in 2014, including the high-profile murder of 31-year-old Jessica Wilson by Edward Everett Hale, 35, following a domestic altercation. Hale committed suicide and his body was located near the baseball field of  T.Clay Wood Elementary School. This number did not change from 2013 to 2014.

The report also reveals that the most traffic incidents in western Prince William County occurred at Balls Ford Road and Sudley Road (151 summonses and 23 crashes). Lee Highway and Heathcote Boulevard come in second in this district (64 summonses and 19 crashes).

You can download the complete report here.

"Crime statistics in Prince William County are tracked in accordance with the national standards administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (Uniform Crime Reporting program," Hudson said.