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Annual police report details rise in crime in Prince William Co.

As more people move into Prince William County, Virginia, the county has also seen more crime.

The nearly 6% jump in overall crime from 2020 to 2021 was joined by a population that increased by 1.7%, .



In an interview with , Police Chief Peter ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ham said his main concerns when looking at the department’s 2021 annual report include stolen autos and aggravated assault numbers, with the latter increasing by more than 22% over a 5 year average.

“A significant majority of our violent offenses are between people who know each other,” ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ham told NBC Washington.

A snapshot of crime statistics provided in this year’s annual report. (Courtesy Prince William County Police)

The annual report also shows there were 183 robberies in 2021 compared to 145 the previous year. Overall, violent crimes rose by about 56 incidents. While the crime rate is up, it’s still lower than what it was before the pandemic.

Arrests have also decreased by almost half among juveniles.

“I think that everyone would agree, that’s a good thing. We’re not unnecessarily introducing young people into the criminal justice system,” ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ham told NBC Washington.

When looking at the roads, traffic citations were down, but fatal crashes were up significantly — nearly 65%.

Melissa Howell

Melissa Howell joined ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ Radio in March 2018 and is excited to cover stories that matter across D.C., as well as in Maryland and Virginia. 

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