Crime in Virginia

Overall, there were 177,060 crimes reported in 2014 in Virginia, including 338 murders and homicides.{{cite web |url=http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/vacrime.htm |title=Virginia Crime Rates 1960 - 2014 |publisher=DisasterCenter.com |access-date=2015-10-26}}

In 2012 Virginia had the 3rd-lowest rape rate by state after New Jersey and New York.{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/03/opinion/sutter-alaska-rape-list/index.html|title=List: States where rape is most common|date=3 February 2014|publisher=CNN}}

The state has significantly lower crime rates than demographically similar neighboring states Maryland, North Carolina, and Tennessee.{{cite web|url=http://vaperforms.virginia.gov/indicators/publicsafety/crime.php|title=Crime|publisher=Virginia.gov|access-date=2015-11-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107221955/http://www.vaperforms.virginia.gov/indicators/publicSafety/crime.php|archive-date=2015-11-07|url-status=dead}}

In 2013, Hampton Roads had the highest crime rate by region in the state.

In 2012, Richmond had 42 murders, a murder rate of 20.2 per 100,000.{{cite web|url=http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Crime_in_Virginia.shtm|title=Virginia State Police - Crime in Virginia Publication|website=www.vsp.state.va.us|access-date=12 April 2018|archive-date=25 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125211637/http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Crime_in_Virginia.shtm|url-status=dead}}

In 2007, the FBI Uniform Crime Reports ranked Richmond as the 5th worst city for violent crimes with populations of 100,000 to 250,000.{{Cite web |url=https://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/index.html |title=Crime in the United States 2007 |access-date=2016-07-28 |archive-date=2016-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118123229/https://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/index.html |url-status=dead }} Today Richmond is not in the top 25 of violent crime or murder.{{cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/tables/6tabledatadecpdf/table-6|title=Table 6|website=fbi.gov|access-date=12 April 2018}}

{{Main article|Capital punishment in Virginia}}

Capital punishment was abolished in this state when Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill into law on March 24, 2021.{{cite web |url=https://time.com/5937804/virginia-death-penalty-abolished/ |title=Why It's So Significant Virginia Just Abolished the Death Penalty}} Before that date, both the electric chair and lethal injection were used to execute prisoners.{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Facts-About-Virginias-Death-Row-69644447.html |title=Facts about Virginia's Death Row |author=Jim Iovino |date=2009-11-10 |publisher=NBC Washington |access-date=2010-02-17}}

State and federal officials could opt to send violent criminals to face trial in Virginia rather than their current state due to Virginia judges being more willing to carry out execution.{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-california-killer-faces-virginia-execution-20150916-story.html|title=California killer faces Virginia execution|first=David|last=Savage|work=Los Angeles Times|date=17 September 2015}}

{{Quotation|

When the “Beltway sniper” was arrested for 10 killings in the Washington area in 2002, federal authorities opted to send him to Virginia for prosecution even though most of the shootings took place in suburban Maryland.}}

• Law of Virginia

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