Virginia’s primary in 2023 is fast approaching. Republicans are bringing attention to Virginia’s increasing crime rate, and blame the rise on Democrats’ failure to pass legislation that would increase punishments and ease police reform restrictions.

Virginia State Police published its annual crime report 2022 last Thursday. The report showed a 4,9% increase in violent crimes statewide from 2021. Violent crimes are murder, sexual offenses, robbery and aggravated violence.

Vehicle thefts rose by almost 22% following a national trend of increases in motor vehicle thefts and property damages — but a decline in violent crimes — that began in 2020 in the wake of the pandemic.

According to the report, the total value of vehicles stolen in Virginia was more than $201 million.

In 2022, the state police report reported 621 homicides. This was an increase of 10.5% from 562 homicides that were reported in 2021. Both offenders and victims were primarily young men aged 18 to 34. Offenders in this age range accounted for 52.2% and victims 42.7%.

Most homicides involving murder or non-negligent death were committed with a firearm. Six homicides have been recorded due to poisoning or drugs.

The Republicans use the crime report as a weapon against Democrats in advance of the 2023 elections, when Democrats will be defending a slim majority in Senate and Republicans their narrow majority in House.

Virginia’s divided General Assembly has made things difficult for Governor. Glenn Youngkin’s (R-VA), conservative agenda is difficult to implement, especially when it comes time to introduce tough-on crime legislation. In January, the state Senate Democrats blocked Youngkin’s bill that would have adjusted charges for drug dealers.

The now-failed legislation would have charged drug dealers with felony murder charges (basically second-degree homicide) if an overdose victim died. The bill was killed in a committee based on party differences. The House of Delegates approved the companion bill. All Democrats voted against it, except for two who were absent.

In a release issued after the release of the Crime Report, the Republican State Leadership Committee stated that the increased crime “sheds a light on Democrats failed policies.”

“The claim that Virginia Democrats want to make communities safer is ironic and a fabrication. Mason Di Palma, RSLC’s deputy director of communications, told the Washington Examiner that if Democrats truly wanted to make Virginia communities safer, they would not have voted against legislation strengthening penalties for drug dealers or preventing police officers from performing their jobs efficiently. “Virginia Republicans are the only party that is focused on reducing the crime crisis created by Joe Biden, and national Democrats.”

In February, the Republican State Leadership Committee began a digital advertising campaign against seven Democratic incumbents on the ballot this Tuesday: state Dels. Rodney Willett and Nadarius, Clark, Jenkins, VanValkenburg Schuyler, Roem as well as the state senators. Aaron Rouse, Monta Mason.

Republicans also pointed out the Virginia General Assembly’s bill of 2020, which included over a dozen reforms to police, such as measures to ban chokeholds, limit no-knocking warrants and create stricter criteria for determining the need to use violence. Democrats have praised the policy changes for making communities safer.

During the 2023 session, the GOP has attempted to appeal some, but not all of the reforms. In January, the Republican House voted to remove provisions that prohibited pulling over people for minor traffic violations. The matter was referred in February to the Democrat controlled state Senate Judiciary Committee, but it hasn’t gained traction ever since.

“The most frustrating thing is that they are passing these bills [in House] and there’s not even a committee hearing in many of these cases. The bills are shot down instantly. Di Palma stated that Democrats were playing politics.

He continued: “You’ve got one chamber that says, ‘You’re right, we won’t do this, because we don’t want to give those people a victory’.” “You cannot say you want to make the communities safer, and then play politics blatantly.”

Virginia’s primary election will be held on Tuesday. All seats in the General Assembly are up for election next fall. According to The New York Times, a historic amount of turnover is expected, around 30%. This is due to new political maps which have placed half of the 140 legislators in the state double or triple up in new districts.

Some delegates even challenge members of their party to run for Senate in order to avoid having their House colleagues fight them in the primaries. State Sen. George Barker, a Republican from Northern Virginia, is facing Stella Pekarsky of the Fairfax County School Board, a Democrat, for the first time in over a decade.