(The unique key is:
Officer staffing hits all-time low
In 2022, the number of officers decreased by 70 to around 10,600
officers statewide. The drop brought the staffing rate to 1.36 officers
per 1,000 people, putting Washington at the 51st lowest rate among all
U.S. states and Washington, D.C., for the 13th year in a row, according
to Strachan.)

Washington violent crime numbers rise nearly 9% from 2021 to 2022
WE’RE NO. 51 | Washington’s police officer staffing-to-population rate
is the lowest in U.S.

By AMANDA ZHOU -Seattle Times staff reporter

For the second year in a row, Washington saw an increase in homicides
and other violent crimes in 2022 as the number of officers statewide
dropped to the lowest rate in its history.

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs on Monday
released its annual crime report, which showed that last year, property
crime increased by 9.8% and violent crimes, which include aggravated
assault, homicide, forcible sex offenses and robbery, increased 8.9%
compared with 2021.

There were 394 homicides last year, an increase of 16.6% compared with
the prior year. While the number of homicides is the highest recorded in
a single year since the organization started collecting data in 1980,
the rate is below where it was in 1994, after accounting for population.

The statewide increase is particularly concerning, WASPC Executive
Director Steven Strachan said, when taking into account the lower
officer staffing rate.

While recent research has shown the start of a downward trend of violent
crime, that trend is not reflected statewide in Washington, he said Monday.

“I think that’s the critical question that our policymakers need to
confront,” he said. “How do we need to change that? This is not the same
as every national trend. ”

In King County, officials saw most violent crime slowly trend downward
during the first half of 2023, dropping from a high point during the
height of the pandemic.

But the county’s homicide rate was relatively steady through the first
quarter of 2023 with a slight rise compared with the same period last year.

While arrests for drug and narcotics violations decreased 33% in 2022,
Strachan added he does not believe this large dip will embolden dealers
or lead to a significant increase in drug arrests next year.

Officer staffing hits all-time low

In 2022, the number of officers decreased by 70 to around 10,600
officers statewide. The drop brought the staffing rate to 1.36 officers
per 1,000 people, putting Washington at the 51st lowest rate among all
U.S. states and Washington, D.C., for the 13th year in a row, according
to Strachan.

Nationally, the rate is around 2.31 officers per 1,000 people.

The dip in officers follows the 4.4% loss of 495 officers statewide in 2021.

A lower officers-to-people ratio means “less ability to provide justice
for victims,” Strachan said. “That’s what it’s all about. It leads to
more reactive response.”

Assaults on officers increased to 2,375 incidents, a 42% increase since
2018.

Vehicle thefts on rise

Vehicle theft was up 34% in 2022, with 47,448 stolen cars from 35,385 in
2021.

The statewide statistics align with thefts in Seattle.

In February, the Seattle Police Department’s annual crime statistics
showed a 30% increase in motor vehicle theft from 2021 to 2022. In
particular, there has been an increase in stolen Hyundai and Kias.

Hate crime reports dip

Reports of hate crimes fell 8.1% in 2022, mirroring Seattle’s hate crime
decrease of 14% last year. The most frequent incidents include
intimidation, destruction of property and assaults.

Hate crimes are often underreported, and law enforcement statistics
might not truly reflect the number of bias and hate crimes.

“We’re going to want to watch that over time and again, really focus on
increasing the comfort with which people have reporting hate crimes in
the first place,” Strachan said.

Amanda Zhou: 206-464-2508 or azhou@seattletimes.com; on Twitter:
@AmondoZhou.