Overall crime fell in Fairfax County for the fourth year in a row in 2005, according to an annual police department report, though instances of murder and rape each doubled from the previous year.
Fairfax County saw 20 murders and 94 rapes last year, according to the report, where in 2004 there were nine murders and 47 rapes. That change was not mentioned in a news release on the statistics issued this week by the county’s Office of Public Affairs.
The Police Department did not reply Thursday to an inquiry on the report.
Crime in total has fallen progressively in recent years, according to the Police Department report, from 23,603 cases in 2001 to 18,409 cases in 2005. Larceny accounted for the majority of crimes each year, falling 1.69 percent from 2004, and 23.02 percent from 2001, the report said.
Overall, crime fell 22 percent since 2001, including drops in aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.
Fairfax County boasts the lowest crime rate per population in the D.C. Metro area. In 2005, D.C. saw 196 murders and 165 cases of sexual assault. The county has less than half the district’s police force, and more than twice its population.
“I’m proud that Fairfax County continues to have the lowest crime rate in the region, and we are one of the safest jurisdictions of our size in the nation,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald Connolly in the news release. “Our police department is one of the nation’s finest, and I thank them for keeping us safe.”
