Norfolk Virginia Records Homicide Increase as National Trends Show Continued Declines

A new analysis from the Council on Criminal Justice examines crime data from 36 large U.S. cities through June 2026 and finds that Norfolk Virginia experienced the largest increase in homicides among 30 cities with available figures. The average homicide rate across those cities fell 18 percent in the first half of 2026 compared to the first half of 2025 resulting in 215 fewer reported homicides. Norfolk recorded a 64 percent rise during the same comparison period. This places the city among a small number where rates exceeded first-half 2019 levels along with Austin Texas Minneapolis Minnesota and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

The report documents that homicides in the sample reached a level 51 percent below the peak observed in the first half of 2022. Nine of the 13 offenses tracked showed declines year over year with carjackings dropping 47 percent and motor vehicle thefts falling 20 percent. Norfolk’s homicide increase contrasts with these aggregate improvements and with the finding that overall violent crime remained at or below 2019 levels in the first half of 2026. The data are preliminary and based on incident reports from participating police departments.

Additional violent offense changes included a 2 percent drop in aggravated assaults a 17 percent decline in robbery and a 23 percent reduction in lethality measured as homicides relative to aggravated assaults and robberies. Norfolk appears in the analysis as the city with the most pronounced homicide growth from 2025 to 2026. The study sample includes cities ranging in population from approximately 200000 to 8.5 million with data obtained shortly after the end of each month.

Property crime trends nationally showed residential burglaries down 13 percent nonresidential burglaries down 10 percent and larcenies down 6 percent in the first half of 2026 versus 2025. Shoplifting rose 4 percent while drug offenses increased 12 percent. The report notes that many offenses remain below 2019 benchmarks across the cities examined. Norfolk’s specific homicide pattern is presented alongside city-by-city variations without attribution to any single cause.

Monthly homicide rates for 2026 stayed below 2025 levels in the aggregate with the smallest gap occurring in June at 9 percent lower. The analysis covers data from January 2018 through June 2026 for consistency across reporting jurisdictions. Norfolk is identified explicitly in the percent change figures as having the largest 2025 to 2026 homicide increase. These observations form part of a broader update on urban crime patterns released in July 2026.

Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Mid-Year 2026 Update

Email the Norfolk City Council:
Kenneth Alexander, mayor@norfolk.gov,
Martin Thomas, martin.thomas@norfolk.gov,
Courtney Doyle, courtney.doyle@norfolk.gov,
Mamie Johnson, mamie.johnson@norfolk.gov,
John Paige, john.paige@norfolk.gov,
Thomas Smigiel, thomas.smigiel@norfolk.gov,
Jeremy McGee, jeremy.mcgee@norfolk.gov,
Carlos Clanton, carlos.clanton@norfolk.gov,

Norfolk is an independent city in Hampton Roads.