Crime in Danville fell to a 40-year low in 2025, marking the sixth consecutive year of overall declines, according to preliminary data released by the Danville Police Department.
Overall major crime categories dropped 8% compared with 2024, the department said.
Violent crime saw some of the steepest declines. The city recorded three homicides in 2025, down from nine the previous year — a 28% decrease in major violent crimes overall. Police said all three homicide cases were cleared by arrest.
Aggravated assaults involving firearms also decreased significantly. Authorities reported 39 firearm-related aggravated assaults in 2025, compared with 63 in 2024. Of the 39 incidents this year, nine victims were wounded and 30 were not wounded. In 2024, 25 victims were wounded and 38 were not wounded in similar cases.
Aggravated assaults involving other weapons — defined as anything used to cause bodily harm other than a firearm — declined slightly, from 48 in 2024 to 45 in 2025.
Robberies continued a downward trend as well. The city recorded 15 robberies in 2025, down from 22 the year before. Police said 12 of this year’s robbery cases were cleared by arrest, compared with 15 clearances in 2024.
The department’s clearance rates outpaced national averages reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 2024. Danville cleared 100% of its homicide cases by arrest, compared with the national average of 61.4%. For aggravated assaults, the department cleared 85.8% of victims’ cases, exceeding the national average of 49.1%. Robbery cases were cleared at an 80% rate locally, compared with 30.4% nationally.
Property crimes also continued a historic downward trend, falling 6% compared with 2024.
Burglaries dropped from 92 cases in 2024 to 80 in 2025. Police reported clearing 43% of this year’s burglary cases by arrest, compared with a national average of 15.2%, according to FBI data.
The department also reported a significant reduction in overdoses. In 2025, the city recorded 19 overdoses, eight of them fatal. That compares with 39 overdoses in 2024, including 13 fatal cases.
Police cautioned that the 2025 figures are preliminary and will be finalized in the coming months after the reporting window for submitting crime data to the Virginia State Police closes.
In a statement, the department credited officers, investigators, professional staff, and leadership for the sustained reductions in crime. It also thanked the community, City Council, city manager, and other municipal departments for their partnership and support.
