NORFOLK, Va. (NPD) – The Norfolk Police Department has ended the year 2025 with a record-breaking reduction in crime, including the lowest number of homicides reported in decades.
In 2025, the City of Norfolk reported 26 homicides, marking a 30% decrease from the previous year. The city also experienced 56 non-fatal shootings, which is a 24% reduction from 2024.
Overall, violent crime in the City of Norfolk decreased by 11% in 2025, while property crime fell by 17%. Significant declines were also recorded across other categories such as robbery, burglary, and larceny, with the number of stolen cars dropping by 41%.
"This is not a matter of coincidence or good fortune," says Police Chief Mark Talbot. “The credit goes directly to the men and women of the Norfolk Police Department, the officers who are out doing the work to make this city the safest it has been in years. They are there to answer every call for help from our citizens, and they are the ones relentlessly carrying out our crime-reduction strategies on every shift.”
With most police agencies across the country continuing to experience staffing challenges, the Norfolk Police Department has spent the last two years working to optimize staffing more strategically.
Increasing both technological resources and professional personnel to improve organizational efficiency and the number of sworn officers available for emergency response.
The Norfolk Police Department has a longstanding reputation for offering high-quality training, diverse experiences, and a culture of professionalism.
"As one of the oldest policing organizations regionally, our department has built a longstanding reputation of excellence,” said Talbot. “Younger officers choose to work here because it is a place where they can come to learn and thrive in a fast-paced organization while serving a community that appreciates the work they are doing. And this significant crime reduction at our current staffing level validates that our officers are truly top-tier."
The Norfolk Police Department currently has approximately 500 sworn staff members.
Also credited as a key contributor to the Department's success is the continued expansion of technology-driven policing.
The Department's Real-Time Crime Center, which celebrated its first anniversary in 2025, has propelled the Department into a new era of policing by serving as a centralized hub for the new technologies and modernized data systems that have enhanced police response capabilities and strengthened public safety efforts.
"While we are motivated by this reduction in crime we have experienced over the last 12 months, 26 lives were still lost in 2025,” said Talbot. “Looking ahead to 2026, we will continue to use the same methodical and precise policing measures we relied on in 2025. We will continue to be data-driven and data-informed in our resource allocation, bringing the same sense of urgency to our mission of making the city the safest it has ever been.”