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Nearly every major crime category tracked by Fairfax County police declined in 2025, with carjackings falling 48% and nonfatal shootings dropping 37%.

Police Chief Kevin Davis presented the year-over-year figures to the Board of Supervisors’ Safety and Security Committee on Tuesday, March 10. Burglaries decreased 27%, robberies 19%, shoplifting and sex offenses 11% each, vehicle thefts 10% and homicides 7%.

Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, the committee chair, said the data counters perceptions that crime is rampant in Fairfax County. He also credited county policies, programs and public-safety decisions with contributing to the results.

Davis said the figures reflect work beyond the police department, including treatment provided by hospital personnel. Fairfax County’s trauma system, he noted, helps prevent some shooting injuries from becoming homicides.

Aggravated assaults were the only major category to increase, rising 11%. Davis said greater recognition of strangulation offenses under state law may help explain that change.

Officers and detectives are paying closer attention to the legal elements of strangulation, he said, resulting in more incidents being classified automatically as aggravated assaults. Davis described that increased scrutiny as a positive development.

Road deaths drop as enforcement rises

Fairfax County also recorded substantial improvements on its roads in 2025. Motor vehicle deaths fell 53%, while pedestrian deaths declined 20%.

At the same time, arrests of drivers suspected of being under the influence increased 8%, and the number of traffic citations issued climbed 42%.

Davis said unsafe driving remains one of the issues residents raise most often with him. Police enforcement is targeting behaviors including speeding, following too closely, unsafe lane changes and distracted driving.

The department also announced stepped-up impaired-driving patrols for March, when warmer weather, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and March Madness gatherings are expected to put more travelers on the roads. Police said such events can increase the risk of impaired driving, particularly during evening and late-night hours.