Crime & Safety in Portsmouth, VA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
7.52
per 1,000 residents
+68% vs national
Property Crime Rate
38.61
per 1,000 residents
+78% vs national
Total Crimes
4,482
2024
Violent Clearance
36%
cases solved
-16% vs national
Property Clearance
5%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+124%
vs 50K-100K avg
+124% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
-8.9%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Portsmouth Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Portsmouth vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Portsmouth is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Portsmouth police solve 69% of murder cases but only 4% of larceny/theft cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 36 | 0.37 | 69.4% |
| Rape | Violent | 35 | 0.36 | 40.0% |
| Robbery | Violent | 163 | 1.68 | 23.9% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 497 | 5.12 | 36.8% |
| Burglary | Property | 412 | 4.24 | 13.6% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 2,837 | 29.20 | 3.6% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 502 | 5.17 | 6.6% |
Portsmouth, VA reported 731 violent crimes and 3,751 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 7.52 per 1,000 residents is 67.9% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 36% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 2,837 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 62.0% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), Portsmouth's violent crime rate is 124% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 731 | 3,751 | 7.52 | 38.61 |
| 2023 | 798 | 4,412 | 8.26 | 45.65 |
| 2022 | 858 | 4,794 | 8.75 | 48.92 |
| 2021 | 729 | 3,645 | 7.68 | 38.39 |
| 2020 | 869 | 4,294 | 9.22 | 45.58 |
| 2019 | 889 | 5,509 | 9.46 | 58.61 |
| 2018 | 754 | 5,008 | 8.00 | 53.15 |
| 2017 | 677 | 5,465 | 7.12 | 57.47 |
| 2016 | 763 | 5,463 | 7.96 | 57.02 |
| 2015 | 675 | 4,878 | 7.04 | 50.88 |
School Shootings
Source: The Washington PostTotal Incidents
3
Total Killed
0
Total Injured
2
| Date | School | Killed | Injured | Type | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 2018 | Simonsdale Elementary School | 0 | 1 | accidental | handgun |
| Mar 19, 2018 | Douglass Park Elementary School | 0 | 1 | unclear | nan |
| Apr 28, 2010 | Woodrow Wilson High School | 0 | 0 | indiscriminate | handgun |
Data from The Washington Post, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.