Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, said that recent law enforcement efforts are producing measurable improvements in public safety, with a noted decrease in homicides and a commitment to supporting police. This statement was made on the social media platform X.
“As Attorney General, I promised we wouldn’t return to the soft-on-crime policies that empowered criminals and put innocent Virginians at risk,” said Jason Stuart Redding Miyares. “I’m proud to report that our results are real, measurable, and delivering exactly what we set out to do — keep Virginia families safe. CHART OF THE DAY: Homicides are down 33%. When we Back the Blue, our communities are safer.”
Virginia’s reduction in homicide and violent crime rates during 2024–2025 aligns with statewide initiatives led by the attorney general, particularly Ceasefire Virginia. This program combines prosecutions with community partnerships. According to the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, citing an analysis by the VCU Wilder School, localities involved in Ceasefire accounted for a significant portion of statewide reductions. The program has expanded its staffing and federal partnerships as part of a broader public-safety strategy.
The state’s homicide rate reportedly declined by 33.49% from 2022 to 2024, with a 21.22% drop from 2023 to 2024, according to a preliminary report by the Wilder School released by Miyares. The analysis attributes 64% of the murder-rate reduction and 40% of the violent-crime reduction to Ceasefire localities using statewide incident data.
Nationally, violent crime decreased by 4.5%, and murder dropped by 14.9% in 2024 compared to 2023, providing context for Virginia’s more significant declines. According to FBI estimates for 2024, robbery and aggravated assault also saw reductions, continuing a broad post-pandemic decline in serious violence. These figures offer a baseline for comparing state initiatives like Ceasefire Virginia against regional and national trends.
Miyares has served as Virginia’s attorney general since 2022 after previously serving in the House of Delegates and is an attorney educated at William & Mary. He launched Ceasefire Virginia and other public-safety efforts while coordinating with federal prosecutors and focusing on overdose and organized retail crime initiatives. His tenure emphasizes partnerships with local law enforcement.
The Virginia Office of the Attorney General represents the Commonwealth and its agencies, prosecutes certain crimes, and coordinates public-safety initiatives with local and federal partners. It provides legal services, victim support, and programmatic efforts like Ceasefire Virginia while relying on statewide incident reporting for trend analysis.
