Fairfax County 2018 Arrest Statistics

According to the Fairfax County Police Department Statistics Report for 2018 (p. 155) (valid as of May 08, 2019), they made 23,260 arrests during the year. These arrests represent 8.5% of the total number of statewide arrests which was 279,288. Fairfax City Police, which is a separate agency, reported 497 arrests during the year.

Incidents Reported Versus Arrests

Just because an incident is reported to have occurred this does not mean that it did in fact occur, or that an actual arrest will take place. At times the police are able disprove an allegation, but often they do not make an arrest due to a lack of supporting evidence (probable cause).  Let’s look at these numbers.

For the year, FCPD reported a total of 33,137 incidents involving Group A Offenses, from which 13,027 arrests were made. This means that arrests were made about 39% of time for alleged incidents involving these offenses. Group A offenses include the more serious crimes that are categorized as Crimes Against Persons (e.g., Assault, Rape, Murder), Crimes Against Property (e.g., Arson, Shoplifting, Theft) and Crimes Against Society (e.g., Drug Violations, Weapon Violations).

Most Common Group-A and Group B-Arrests

As previously mentioned, the Fairfax County Police Department reports their arrests for Group A Offenses, which are the more serious crimes, separately from Group B Offenses which include DUI, Trespassing, Bad Checks, etc.

Shown below are charts that show some of the most common offenses for which the FCPD made arrests in 2018. The top 5 offenses for which the most arrests occurred in 2018 are:

1. DRUG/NARCOTIC VIOLATIONS (5224)
2. ALL OTHER LARCENY (3277)
3. DRUNKENNESS (2169)
4. SIMPLE ASSAULT (1923)
5. DUI (1829)

Don’t Be Just a Statistic – Get Legal Representation from an Experienced Fairfax Criminal Lawyer

Although in your world you might be considered a decent person who made a poor decisions, when you enter the court system you become one of thousands of defendants waiting for their day in court. You do NOT want enter into this system without a local Fairfax criminal lawyer who is intimately familiar with the intricacies of the court, well-known by judges and district attorneys, and highly experienced in practicing criminal defense law.

Because criminal law is our expertise and sole focus, most of our in-court time is spent representing clients in Fairfax Circuit Court where felony cases are handled, and in Fairfax County General District Court where criminal misdemeanors, and preliminary hearings in felony charges are handled. After almost of three decades of experience of interacting with the judges, district attorneys and staff in the Fairfax jurisdiction, our criminal law firm has developed a well-known and positive reputation for putting forth an unconditional commitment to each of its clients. If you chose to be represented by our law firm, you will be sending a clear message to our opposition that your rights and freedom will be fiercely protected.