Thefts rise, violent crimes fall in Fairfax County in 2008

Violent crime dropped in Fairfax County in 2008, but property crimes jumped nearly 9 percent, fueled by a rise in thefts from cars, a police spokeswoman said.

The number of homicides climbed from 13 to 22 between 2007 and 2008, but the number of robberies dropped nearly 25 percent, causing an overall 8.9 percent drop in violent crime, according to statistics released Tuesday by Fairfax County police.