Washington crime rates rose in 2022, report says

Homicide and car theft rates are up in Washington state, according to data from 2022. But hate crimes went down slightly.

A new report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs aggregates crime statistics from 2022, indicating an overall rise in crime.

Executive Director Steven Strachan says it’s not clear what the data signals as a long term trend. He stresses that it’s important victims feel comfortable to file a report.

“They have to feel comfortable and able to report it and feel that something will be done," Strachan said, adding that this is something they plan to monitor over time.

According to the association's summary: "...there were 394 murders in 2022, an increase of 16.6 percent over 2021. This is the highest number of murders recorded since WASPC began collecting this data in 1980. Homicides have increased 96 percent since 2019. Crimes against persons, property and society all increased in 2022, and violent crimes showed an increase of 8.9 percent."

Also, the rate of car thefts went up by 34%. Domestic violence calls were nearly 46% of all crimes against people.

Some numbers decreased between 2021 and 2022. There were 1,444 arrests for drugs and narcotics (down from 2,163 in 2021). And there were 544 incidents of hate crimes last year, compared to 592 in 2021.

Washington’s population grew by nearly 93,000 people during this time.

Strachan says this is happening at a time when the number of commissioned officers is down.

"We are 51st in the nation in law enforcement staffing," he said. "This is the 13th straight year of being lowest in the nation."

The report is based on data from 231 law enforcement agencies throughout Washington, including Tribal, state, county, and city police.

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs is akin to a trade organization for law enforcement leadership. It's written into state law as a recognized law enforcement association. The organization aligns different agencies across the state for collaboration on public safety goals.