As in previous years when asked about satisfaction with local police, a large majority (70.9%) reported being satisfied or very satisfied. Only 14.3% were somewhat dissatisfied and 7.6% were very dissatisfied. Slightly more respondents (3% more) reported being very satisfied (25.3%) this year than last (22.3%). However, this slight increase is overshadowed by a nine percent drop in those who were somewhat satisfied (from 54.6% last year to 45.6% this year), thus there was an overall drop in satisfaction with local police of around 6% from 2024 to 2025.
Again, as in previous years, the majority (68%) of Hampton Roads reported trusting the police somewhat (40.5%) or a great deal (27.5%). However, this is a substantial decrease from last year when 78.8% reported similar levels of trust (somewhat or a great deal). In fact, while the percentage who report not trusting the police at all is relatively small, it nearly doubled from last year from 5.5% to 10.8%.
To further explore variation in attitudes towards the police, a composite scale of the two measures was created ranging from 0-6, where higher values indicated more positive attitudes (greater trust and satisfaction) towards the police.4 Several comparisons provide interesting results including that the combined satisfaction-trust scale was significantly lower this year than it was in 2024.5 Trust and satisfaction with the police varied significantly by city. Consistent with trends from previous years, there are higher levels of satisfaction and trust in the wealthier and less demographically diverse city of Virginia Beach (2024 average=4.3 and 2025=4.4). Suffolk also reported relatively high levels of satisfaction last year and again this year (average=4.2 and 4.1, respectively). Respondents in Chesapeake who have historically been relatively satisfied and trusting of their police reported significantly lower levels than last year (4.4 last year compared to 3.7). In contrast to Virginia Beach and Suffolk, respondents in each of the five other Hampton Roads cities reported levels of trust/satisfaction under 4.0.
4 Similar to last year, the two variables are highly correlated, Gamma = .898 suggesting considerable overlap between the two items. Combining the items reduces redundancy and adds clarity to the overall presentation of the analyses.
5 t-statistic = 2.275, 1,268 df., p<.05.
Among the strongest correlates of confidence in the police is race, with racial minorities reporting lower levels than whites. Hampton Roads residents are no exception with African-American respondents reporting significantly lower levels of satisfaction/trust than whites. In contrast to last year, respondents reporting a race other than white or black showed even lower levels of trust and support than did blacks (3.3 compared to 3.5).
Research also shows that age is often correlated with confidence in the police across studies, with older respondents reporting higher levels of confidence than younger adults and adolescents.6 Focusing on adults in Hampton Roads, we find higher levels of satisfaction and trust among those over the age of 45 and especially those 65 and older. The 2025 data mirror the results from last year.
Next there were some questions related to cybercrime. To give some context to questions about cybercrime victimization, we asked about computer and internet use among Hampton Roads residents. Both cell phones and the internet were used multiple times a day by the vast majority (91%) of respondents (those responding 鈥渆veryday, a few times a day鈥 or 鈥渆veryday, more than a few times a day鈥). Electronic tablets were only used multiple times a day by 17.5% of respondents, desktop computers by 26.7%, and laptops by 36.9%. Both desktop computers and tablets were never used by about a third of respondents (33.9% and 35.5% respectively).
6 Bolger, M. A., Lytle, D. J., & Bolger, P. C. (2021). What matters in citizen satisfaction with police: A meta-analysis. Journal of criminal justice, 72, 101760.
About half of respondents reported that their internet usage had increased recently (48.6%). Three out of four respondents (76%) reported using the internet for financial services, such as online banking or payment systems.
In assessing the prevalence of various types of cybercrimes experienced by anyone in their household in the past year, the most common type reported was fraud or theft due to the misuse of a lost or stolen credit/bank card or related information (15.9%). Being tricked or deceived out of goods or money via the internet was the second most common experience, reported by 13.2% of respondents and 11.8% reported unauthorized attempts to create new accounts using their personal information or that of someone in their household. Multiple selections were possible, meaning that some respondents may have reported multiple cybercrimes within the past year. About one-third of those who had experienced cybercrime (32.7%) reported experiencing more than one type of crime.
To further explore cyber victimization, we created a variable where 0 indicated that the respondent reported someone in their household had not experienced cyber victimization and a 1 indicated that someone in their household had experienced at least one of the listed forms of victimization in the past year. About a third of the respondents (32.8%) had experienced at least one form of cyber victimization in the past year.
Experience of cyber victimization did significantly vary across the cities of Hampton Roads, with the highest levels (over a third of households) found in Suffolk (34%), Hampton (38.2%), Chesapeake (38.8%), and the highest percentage reported by Norfolk respondents (41.2%). The prevalence of cybervictimization was lower in Newport News (29.2%), Virginia Beach (27.0%), and much lower in Portsmouth (20.8%).
Cybervictimization was seemingly unrelated to age, race, and level of education. However, males (36.7%) were more likely to report someone in their household had been victimized than females (29.2%). The 7.5% difference is statistically significant (p<.05).
There is a statistically significant relationship between household income and the likelihood of cybervictimization in the household. Combining categories suggests that perhaps the highest risk of victimization is among those households making less than $30,000 annually (42.8%) compared to higher income groups whose rates of victimization range from 28% to 30%.
Cybervictimization was not related to any of the computer usage variables described above, nor was it correlated with a scale based on those items. Respondents were asked whether their use of the internet had increased recently and whether the respondent used the internet for financial services. Increased use of the internet was significantly associated with a 10% increase in cybervictimization. Use of the internet for financial services was also associated with an increased risk of cybervictimization (6.4%) which is similar to other studies7.
7 See: Gainey, R. R., Albanese, J. S., Vandecar-Burdin, T., Hawdon, J., Dearden, T. E., & Parti, K. (2023). Routine citizen Internet practices and cyber victimization: a state-wide study in Virginia. Criminal Justice Studies, 36(3), 228鈥250.