Violent crime last year increased in Fairfax County, the nation’s wealthiest, despite a drop in murders, police reported Thursday.
Spikes in rapes, robbery reports and larceny cases helped drive an overall 6 percent increase in the county’s crime rate and a 4 percent increase in violent crimes.
Murders declined from 19 to 13, a drop of 31.5 percent, but rapes jumped 30 percent from 73 in 2006 to 95 in 2007.
Rape cases climbed nearly 50 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the last three months of 2006, as murders fell from nine to six during the same span.
The crime data follows a similar trend in neighboring Prince William County, where murders also fell sharply from 16 to nine, as rapes climbed from 21 to 28.
However, it demonstrates a contrast from Montgomery County, where murders climbed 19 percent from 16 to 19, while rapes fell 8.5 percent, from 141 to 129.
Fairfax County police also saw assaults and motor vehicle thefts climb slightly higher with gains of 1.5 percent and robberies increased 4.6 percent.
Property crime reports varied as residents reported 171 fewer burglaries for an 11 percent decline, while documenting 1,169 more larcenies, for a 9 percent increase in thefts, which police attribute to criminals targeting global positioning devices and catalytic converters.
More people are reporting crimes over the Internet, which may be partly responsible for the overall crime increase, said Mary Ann Jennings, a department spokeswoman.
“Overall, the county remains a very safe county andthe crime rate remains low,” Jennings said.
