The Data Analysis and Reporting Team is responsible for the collection of multiple data sets concerning Virginia crime and law enforcement. The data collections have recently expanded to include: Crime in Virginia reports, Community policing reports, Uniform crime-incident based reports, Use of force and officer involved shooting reports, and Photo speed monitoring reports.
The Data Analysis and Reporting Team (DART) of the Virginia Department of State Police is responsible for the collection of multiple data collections concerning crime and law enforcement within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Throughout the last few years, the data collections have significantly expanded and we now house the following collections. DART collects and/or analyzes law enforcement related data for use by the public and legislators as well as incident and arrest statistics gathered on selected types of crime by participating law enforcement agencies throughout the State.
Community Policing
Virginia Community Policing Act data is publicly available on the Virginia Open Data Portal website.
The 2020 session of the General Assembly passed a bill to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in and amending several Code sections (§§ 9.2-191, 15.2-1609.10, 15.2-1722.1, 52-30.1 through 52-30.4) relating to the Community Policing Act; data collection and reporting requirements. Additional updates to the Community Policing Act will take place July 1, 2021 per Chapter 37 of 2020 Special Session I.
Under the current Community Policing Act, each time a law-enforcement officer or State Police officer stops a driver of a motor vehicle, stops and frisks a person based on reasonable suspicion, or temporarily detains a person during any other investigatory stop, such officer shall collect the following data based on the officer’s observation or information provided to the officer by the Individual or Driver:
- (i) the race, ethnicity, age, gender of the person stopped, and whether the person stopped spoke English;
- (ii) the reason for the stop;
- (iii) the location of the stop;
- (iv) whether a warning, written citation, or summons was issued or whether any person was arrested;
- (v) if a warning, written citation, or summons was issued or an arrest was made, the warning provided, violation charged, or crime charged;
- (vi) whether the vehicle or any person was searched; and
- (vii) whether the law-enforcement officer or State Police officer used physical force against any person and whether any person used physical force against any officers.
In addition to stop information, each state and local law-enforcement agency shall collect the number of complaints the agency receives alleging the use of excessive force.
- Participation: Mandatory
- Created by: Chapter 6.1. Virginia Community Policing Act
- Date enacted: July 1, 2020
- Data included: motor vehicle and investigatory stop records, records of complaints alleging the use of excessive force, as submitted by law enforcement agencies
- Contact email: dart@vsp.virginia.gov
Uniform Crime Reporting – Incident Based Reporting
Crime data is made publicly available through the last published year at https://va.beyond2020.com
The UCR Section, now known as DART, was created in 1974 by § 52-25. Uniform crime reporting system established. The UCR Program is a system of collecting and analyzing crime and arrest statistics gathered on selected types of crime by participating law enforcement agencies throughout the State. In accordance with the Code of Virginia, the Department of State Police serves as the central repository. We acknowledge the efforts made by participating law enforcement agencies in making this report accurate and concise.
Initially, the method of collection was under the Summary Reporting System (SRS) and transitioned to an Incident Based Reporting (IBR) central repository in January 1994. At that time all contributing agencies were given five years to convert their summary system into an incident based system. By the end of 1999, not all agencies had completed this process. Because of this, for the year 1999 only, we listed separate totals for those agencies using IBR and those agencies reporting SRS data.
As of 2000, all submitting agencies followed the IBR guidelines and the Crime In Virginia publication reflects data in that reporting method. With more recent publications, most agencies have submitted complete annual totals. If not, a footnote indicates the total number of months of data that were submitted. The statewide population for the publications are provisional estimates provided by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, University of Virginia.
While the figures reported in this publication are the most accurate available, it must be remembered that they are gathered in compliance with UCR definitions and guidelines and represent a “snapshot” in time of incidents reported by local law enforcement agencies. As such, it is possible that the number and categorization of offenses may differ when comparing these data with those from individual reporting agencies. If there are concerns with these differences, it is suggested that you contact the agency directly.
- Participation: Mandatory for public agencies receiving 599 funds per § 52-28
- Created by: § 52-25. Uniform crime reporting system established.
- Date enacted: July 1, 1974
- Data included: Crime data per FBI UCR Program standards and additional Virginia specific criteria
- Contact email: dart@vsp.virginia.gov
Crime In Virginia Publications:
Use of Force & Officer Involved Shooting
The 2016 session of the General Assembly passed an amendment to the Code of Virginia by adding § 52-28.2 which specifies the reporting requirement for all Officer Involved Shootings. This statute began the process of collecting data related to fatalities and serious bodily injuries as a result of interaction with law enforcement wherein a shooting occurs.
As of January 1, 2019, the FBI has established the National Use-Of-Force Data Collection. The Virginia law enforcement community, in partnership with the FBI, is working to improve the way the nation collects, analyzes, and uses crime statistics about law enforcement’s use of force. The National Use-of-Force Data Collection will include incident information, subject information, and officer information. These events include use of force that result in fatality, serious bodily injury or discharge of a firearm in absence of fatality or injury.
Officer Involved Shooting
- Participation: Mandatory: Officer Involved Shooting
- Created by: § 52-28.2. Reporting of officer-involved shootings
- Date enacted: July 1, 2016
- Data included: Generalized data concerning officer-involved shootings by Virginia law enforcement agencies.
- Contact email: useofforce@vsp.virginia.gov
Use of Force
- Participation: Voluntary
- Created by: FBI UCR National Use of Force Data Collection
- Date available: March 19, 2019
- Data included: Generalized data concerning use of force by Virginia law enforcement agencies.
- Contact email: useofforce@vsp.virginia.gov
Photo Speed Monitoring
Effective July 1, 2020, the Virginia Department of State Police, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Data Analysis and Reporting Team (DART) Section will begin the collection of photo speed monitoring device civil penalty data, as required by the 2020 Virginia Acts of Assembly, Chapter 1232. The Act amends and reenacts §§ 46.2-208 and 46.2-882 of the Code of Virginia, and adds § 46.2-882.1 relating to use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones and school crossing zones.
This Act requires any state or local law-enforcement agency that places and operates a photo speed monitoring device pursuant to the provisions of this section to report to the Department of State Police annually.
- Participation: Mandatory
- Created by: § 46.2-882.1. Use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones and school crossing zones; civil penalty.
- Date enacted: July 1, 2020
- Data included: the number of traffic violations prosecuted, the number of successful prosecutions, and the total amount of monetary civil penalties collected
- Contact email: dart@vsp.virginia.gov
Law Enforcement Agency & Vendor Information
Community Policing Documentation
- Community Policing Data Collection Instructions and Technical Specifications v5.3.1 (Begins July 1, 2024)
- Community Policing Data Collection Instructions and Technical Specifications v5.3 (Begins July 1, 2023)
- Community Policing Data Collection Instructions and Technical Specifications v5.2 (Begins July 1, 2022)
- Community Policing Data Collection Instructions and Technical Specifications v5.1 (Begins July 1, 2021)
VSP IBR Documentation
- 2023.1.1 VIRGINIA NIBRS Technical Specification
- 2023.1 Virginia IBR User Manual (rev. Jun 2024)
- 2019.1 VIRGINIA NIBRS Technical Specification
- 2019.1.1 Virginia IBR User Manual (rev. Nov 2021)
- IBR Statute Conversion Table 2023 (Uniform Statute Table) (Updated 7-5-24)
- Likely Code of Virginia Statute by IBR Offense (based on Uniform Statute Table)
- CAD/RMS Vendors Currently Operating in Virginia (Updated 7-12-22)
UOF-OIS Documentation
Beyond 2020 Documentation