Year in Crime: Counting Virginia's Murders, Rapes, Robberies, Car Thefts, Burglaries

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia law enforcement reported 383 murders in 2015 up from 350 in 2014. Motorists discovered 8,111 cars stolen — 22 vehicles each day. It's just two data points in the FBI's annual crime report, released this week.

Agencies around the country provide data to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, and that information is released annually in the "Crime in the United States" report.

Nationally, law enforcement reports violent crime (murders, rapes, robberies, assaults) were up 3.9 percent in 2015, but property crimes (burglaries, thefts) fell by 2.6 percent. The FBI notes the increase in violent crime year-over-year is still far below the rate in 2006: 16.5 percent.

Overall, Virginia saw violent crime drop 1.4 percent in 2015, while property crimes declined 4 percent.

Here are Virginia's 2015 totals, along with the 2014 totals.

Violent Crime: 16,399

• Murder and non-negligent manslaughter: 383 - up from 350
• Rape: 2,340 - down from 2,416
• Robbery: 4,441 - up from 4,294
• Aggravated Assault: 9,235 - down from 9,462

Property Crime: 156,470

• Burglary: 21,340 - down from 23,210
• Larceny-theft: 127,019 - down from 131,001
• Motor vehicle theft: 8,111 - up from 7,723

Firearms were used in an estimated 72 percent of murder cases in Virginia, according to the FBI data. Nationally, the FBI report notes that firearms were used in 71.5 percent of the nation's murders.

FBI Director James Comey noted the data is released to promote more transparency and accountability in law enforcement.

"We also need better, more informed conversations about crime and policing in this country," he said in a statement. "Information that is accurate, reliable, complete, and timely will help all of us learn where we have problems and how to get better."

Robberies nationwide resulted in a loss of $390 million and thefts included an estimated $;14.3 billion in stolen property.

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