THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, November 23, 1995            TAG: 9511240247
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                     LENGTH: Short :   49 lines

CRIME TOTALS SHOW BEACH IS SAFESTY CITY FOR 8TH YEAR

For the eighth consecutive year, federal crime statistics show that Virginia Beach is the safest city in its population category in the nation.

The statistics, compiled yearly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and released locally Wednesday, show Virginia Beach had the fewest serious crimes per 1,000 residents in 1994, compared to 64 other cities with populations between 200,000 and 800,000.

Virginia Beach, with a 1994 population of about 427,400, had an overall crime rate of 50.4 crimes per 1,000 residents. Tampa, Fla., the most crime-ridden city in the population category, had a crime rate more than three times higher than Virginia Beach.

The overall crime rate, a benchmark for rating the safety of cities, is a combination of property-crime rate and violent-crime rate. Virginia Beach had the lowest rate in both categories, with 47.4 property crimes and three violent crimes per 1,000 residents.

Property crimes include larceny, burglary and car theft. Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery and assault. Most police departments across the nation voluntarily report the crime statistics yearly to the FBI.

Norfolk is the only Hampton Roads city in the same population category as Virginia Beach. Norfolk - with a 1994 population of about 260,000 - ranked 19th of 65.

Raleigh, N.C., ranked 14th; Boston ranked 34th; Richmond ranked 47th; Atlanta ranked 62nd; St. Louis ranked 63rd; and Miami ranked 64th.

Virginia Beach had the second-lowest crime rate among South Hampton Roads cities in 1994. Chesapeake, with a population of about 186,000, had a rate of 47 serious crimes per 1,000 residents. Suffolk had a rate of 61; Norfolk, 82; and Portsmouth had the highest crime rate, 90. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

The Virginian-Pilot

CRIME IN THE CITY

Here are the 10 safest, and 10 most dangerous, cities in 1994 with

populations between 200,000 and 800,000:

SOURCE: FBI

[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]

KEYWORDS: CRIME STATISTICS by CNB