Richmond crime trends align with nationwide decline, study finds

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Crime declined nationwide in 2025, according to a recent study by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), and also reflects trends reported in Richmond.

The CCJ examined rates of violent crime in 40 cities across the U.S., including Richmond, which reported a 12% decline in major crime last year. The study shows violent crime in 2025 dropped to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Murders were down 21% from 2024, but remained at the same level in Richmond. Robberies and carjackings both decreased in the city, aligning with national trends.

James Hawdon, a sociology professor at Virginia Tech and director of the university’s Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, said the data points to meaningful improvements.

“You should take away that the situation is improving,” Hawdon said. “I still need to be careful. I still need to be vigilant. I still need to be aware of my surroundings, but things are getting better.”

Hawdon said several factors are likely contributing to the decline, including targeted policing strategies, cultural shifts, and increased investment in crime reduction programs.

“There has been a lot of effort in various states and cities to implement programs to help youth and help keep them out of trouble,” he said.

In Richmond, those efforts include youth-focused safety initiatives such as Operation Safe Summer, and its latest safety initiative 'Spring Forward', which aims to reduce gun violence and provide structured activities during spring break.

However, Hawdon cautioned that while traditional street crimes may be declining, some criminal activity is shifting into less visible spaces. He says data shows that cyber crimes have been on the rise.

“When you’re looking at things like burglary, robbery, any kind of theft, a lot of that has now moved online,” Hawdon said. “It’s a lot harder to get detected, it’s safer for the criminal, [since] you don’t have to confront somebody directly... it can also be more lucrative.”

Cybercrime is not currently included in the Council on Criminal Justice’s annual findings, something Hawdon says limits how crime trends can be understood.

“We spend so much more time online than we used to,” he said. “To ignore the dangers that are out there, I think we’re missing a huge chunk of reality that’s just not getting reported in the information.”

Hawdon emphasized that when evaluating crime data, long-term patterns matter more than year-to-year fluctuations.

“It’s more important to pay attention to the trends than to focus on any single number,” he said.