LACEY, Wash. — Washington saw an overall decrease in crime last year but saw rates of hate crime and vehicle theft continue to rise along with crimes committed by juveniles.
The annual Crime in Washington Report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) also points to the state's overall issues with law enforcement staffing. Despite an increase in total commissioned officers in Washington, the state ranks last out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the number of officers per thousand residents.
The total number of murders across Washington decreased 5.8% from 2022 to 2023, but the 376 is still an 87% increase over the 2019 mark. Assaults were up slightly from 2022, but are still below 2019's total. Robberies also decreased year-over-year but remain above 2019-21 levels.
Property crime as a whole fell 11.9% in 2023 statewide, the report says. Though total thefts and property damage or vandalism decreased, motor vehicle thefts increased 5.4% from 2022 to 2023. The report notes that since 2019, vehicle thefts have gone up by 112%.
Crimes against society, including offenses like gambling, prostitution and drug violations, rose 22.4% year-over-year, per the report. Over 80% of these offenses are drug-related. Hate crimes increased by 6%, with a total of 576.
Juvenile arrests jumped a whopping 23.99% from 2022 to 2023, with over 7,700 arrests statewide. Over half of those arrested were between ages 13 and 15, the report says. This report comes out just days after a 16-year-old was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old girl at a Lynnwood mall.
From a staffing perspective, the total number of commissioned law enforcement officers in the state has not kept up with Washington's growing population. The 2023 per capita rate of officers fell to 1.35 per thousand statewide, which the report says is the lowest rate it has ever recorded for Washington. WASPC adds that the national per capita average for law enforcement officers is 2.31.