Crime in South Boston, Virginia

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In South Boston, however, property crimes account for about 92% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in South Boston than it is nationwide. There were 339 property crimes in South Boston in 2019, or 4,460 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in South Boston. There were 281 larcenies reported in South Boston in 2019, or 3,697 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 52 break-ins reported in South Boston in 2019, or 684 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In South Boston, meanwhile, there were 6 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 79 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In South Boston, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 8% share of all reported crime.

At 368 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in South Boston is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in South Boston reported a total of 28 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in South Boston. There were 19 aggravated assaults reported in South Boston in 2019, or 250 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is similar, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 4 robberies reported in South Boston in 2019, a rate of 53 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 3 rapes reported in South Boston in 2019, or 40 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 2 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in South Boston is 26.3 murders for every 100,000 people, more than five times higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.