Alexandria officials cite sharp drops in shootings and homicides, urge continued vigilance

Chief Pat opened the mayoral briefing on June 25 by presenting a series of crime‑trend figures, saying the Alexandria Police Department has seen a notable decline in violent and property crimes over the past three years. “Shootings since 2023 have decreased 48% and homicides have decreased 52%,” Chief Pat said, adding that annualized figures from 2021–2026 show a 68% decline in homicides.

The chief told attendees the department recorded 34 homicides in 2021 and 12 last year, and that, as of June 25, there had been no gun‑related homicide since Dec. 12, 2025. He framed the trends as the result of changes in department culture, recruitment and resources approved by the mayor and council, and he thanked commanders, detectives, patrol officers and dispatchers for the results.

A council member asked whether the statistics had been "cherrypicked"; Chief Pat said the numbers come from daily reports submitted to the department’s records management system and are the index crimes used for federal reporting. “These are index crimes that are pulled straight from our reports,” he said, noting falsifying those reports would be a felony under state law.

Officials also provided a breakdown of property‑crime trends: a 28% monthly decline in overall property crimes, aggravated burglaries down 75%, vehicle burglaries down 33%, burglary of an inhabited dwelling down 47%, unauthorized entries down 36%, and felony theft down 5%. The mayor and chief both cautioned that any homicide is one too many and that targeted interventions must continue.

While the administration pointed to data and to business owners’ anecdotal reports of improved neighborhood safety, officials acknowledged the complexity of some incidents. The mayor said two of the four homicides this year were connected to people experiencing homelessness, noting that violent incidents within that population require a different mix of enforcement and social services.

The briefing closed with leaders urging continued adherence to reporting standards, maintaining hiring and vetting procedures for officers, and sustaining partnerships with community organizations to keep the downward trends moving forward.