The Virginia State Crime Commission was established within the legislative branch of government in 1966. The Crime Commission is a criminal justice agency as defined by Virginia Code § 9.1-101, and is authorized to study, report, and make recommendations on all areas of public safety and protection (Virginia Code § 30-156 et seq.). The Crime Commission consists of thirteen members – six members of the House of Delegates, three members of the Senate, three nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Governor, and the Attorney General or his designee.

During 2019, Crime Commission staff continued work on several studies, including the Post-Conviction DNA Notification Project, the Virginia Pre-Trial Data Project, commercial sex trafficking, and fingerprinting of defendants. Additionally, staff spent a significant amount of time examining mass killings and gun violence as a result of legislation referred to the Crime Commission during the July 2019 Special Session of the General Assembly.