Even as homicides and violent crimes declined in 2024, according to the Virginia State Police Crime in Virginia 2024 report, the number of assaults on Virginia police officers continued at roughly the same rate as in the previous two years. The 727 injuries to officers did represent a 10-percent decline from 2023, however. One police officer was killed in the line of duty; 679 injuries were classified as “minor.”

It’s not clear if the data reflect a real increase in the number of assaults on police officers or a statistical artifact. States the report: “A new method of data aggregation reflects a higher number than reported in previous years.” The report does not say what the number would have been under the old methodology.

— JAB