DATE: Tuesday, March 4, 1997                TAG: 9703050524

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   49 lines

A STEADY DECLINE IN VIOLENT CRIME

A STEADY DECLINE IN VIOLENT CRIME

Many people believe the treat of violent crime in Hampton Roads is

on the increase, but the opposite is true. In 1996, the rate was the

lowest of any year during the 1990s. The rate has dropped almost

every year since 1991, from about 700 to 570 violent crimes per

100,000 residents. violent crime is defined as murder, rape, robbery

and aggravated assault. The safest city, probably to no one's

surprise, was Virginia Beach, with 256 violent crimes per 100,000

people last year. Portsmouth had the highest rate at 1,047. maybe

the best news last year was a 29 percent drop in violent crime in

Portsmouth, following 12 straight years of increases. These are

numbers that resulted when The Virginian-Pilot analyzed data from

FBI and local police incident reports. The numbers showed, for

instance:

The violent crime rate last year in the region's second-safest city,

chesapeake, was 40 percent higher than in Virginia Beach.

Statistically, you are most likely to be raped or murdered in

Norfolk than any other city. you are most likely to be robbed in

Portsmouth, and you are most likely to be assaulted in Suffolk.

Here is a look, city by city, at violent crime in Hampton Roads

during the 1990s.

[Includes the following charts on violent Crimes:]

[South Hampton Roads]

[Virginia Beach Rates]

[Norfolk Rates]

[Chesapeake Rates]

[Portsmouth Rates]

[Suffolk Rates]

[For copy of charts, see microfilm]

SOURCE: Analysis of FBI and local police incidents data by NAOMI

AOKI, Staff Writer KEYWORDS: VIOLENT CRIME RATES CRIME STATISTICS

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