Virginia’s Arlington County saw its first overall decline in crime in 2025, marking the region’s first decrease since 2018.

The findings stemmed from the Arlington County Police Department annual report that was published last week.

Authorities found that the overall crime rate declined by 10.9%, according to the report.

Reported crimes against persons had a marginal increase of .5%. The report said that increase was largely driven by a rise in intimidation offenses.

The most commonly reported crime — crimes against property — declined by 14.9%, with significant decreases in most subcategories, according to the report.

Reported crimes against society slightly increased by 1.7%, primarily driven by drug equipment violations, the report said.

“Officers and professional staff continued to make transportation safety a key area of focus through a two-pronged approach of education and enforcement,” said Arlington County Chief Andy Penn.

“Proactive efforts to keep our roadways safe for all travelers resulted in an increase of traffic citations and warnings by 25.9%, an increase of parking citations and warnings by 10.2% and an increase in DUI arrests by 46.1%,” the chief said.

Penn said staffing remains a significant challenge for his department and within the law enforcement profession. Arlington County earlier announced that starting pay for officers would increase to $90,012, and that other officer ranks would receive pay increases.

“The success of our agency is a direct reflection of the outstanding work our officers and professional staff perform in service to the Arlington community,” he said.

“We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and professional team committed to public safety. I continue to be incredibly proud of the work they perform each and every day,” he said.

Penn had also credited the PhotoSPEED automated safety program, which saw 18 additional traffic cameras enrolled in the initiative. He said the expansion helped to bolster safety efforts within county school zones.