The overall rate of violent crime declined in Arlington by 14 percent last year.
Homicides, robberies and aggravated assaults dropped by between 10 and 50 percent in 2007 from 2006 levels, police statistics show.
“As the drop in violent crime demonstrates, this is a safe community,” said Police Chief M. Douglas Scott.
Deputy Police Chief Dan Murray attributed the department’s success to the relationship of trust that has developed between the community and the police department, as residents have increasingly proven willing to report crimes and work with police.
The only category of violent crime to climb last year was forcible rape, which jumped 23 percent from 22 in 2006 to 27 in 2007.
While violent crime dropped, the county’s overall crime rate rose 1 percent, fueled mostly by an increase in property crimes, police said. Arlington, like neighboring Alexandria, has struggled withan onslaught of GPS thefts from cars.
Arlington reported a 44 percent increase in thefts from motor vehicles last year, jumping from 512 in 2006 to 741 in 2007.
Burglaries in the county climbed 6 percent, records show.
Vehicle thefts in Arlington dropped 15 percent last year to 302 — the county’s lowest number since 1961.
