Robberies Up, Everything Else Down in Leesburg

The Leesburg Police Department released a quarterly crime report Tuesday with combined data for the first six months of the year.

The data showed calls for service increased 2.6 percent from 23,346 for the same period in 2013 to 23,955 for the first six months of 2014.

A total of 494 crashes have occurred so far this year, most occurring at the Rt. 15 Bypass at Edwards Ferry Road and East Market Street at Battlefield Parkway.

Other trends noted by the department:

•Decreases in major crime indicators including aggravated assaults, burglaries, larceny, auto theft and property crime

•Continued decrease in Larcenies (shoplifting, larceny from auto) showing positive results from targeted patrols

•Increase of 3 events in Robbery category (street robberies)

•Increases in Narcotic cases

•Seeing more heroin cases than same period last year

•While decreasing crime trends are very positive, heavy workload that historically occurs in 3rd and 4th quarters may slow or reverse the downward trend.

This information is posted monthly on the Town of Leesburg’s webpage at leesburgva.gov/police as well as the police department’s Facebook page located at facebook.com/leesburgvapolice.