LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Mike Zaro, chief of the Lakewood Police Department (LPD), presented the department’s 2021 annual report to the city council on Monday.
The report revealed a trend similar to what’s being seen in other law enforcement agencies over the last two years, including the depletion of personnel and a rise in violent crimes.
Zaro revealed Monday that 20% of LPD’s personnel was lost to a wave of retirements throughout last year amid an uptick in crime.
Overall, crime in Lakewood increased by nearly 3% in 2021, with property crimes rising 7.5% and crimes on people like murders and assaults rising nearly 6%.
Additionally, LPD officers also noted a major increase in the number of suspects evading capture. In December alone there were 31 suspects who ran from LPD. Yet in the three years prior, LPD had an average of just 7.2 elusions per month.
While these trends in crime rates are troubling, the report notes that the city’s total crime rate remains below those from the 2000s and before.
Still, the rise in Lakewood crime rates mirrors what man agencies in western Washington have seen, and the trends are continuing into 2022.
Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz recently said the city has seen a 95% increase in shots fired and a 171% increase in shooting victims so far this year than the same time last year.
Sgt. Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, an agency working in the same area as LPD, said he feels there’s been an attitude shift and “lack of respect” for the law that’s led to more dangerous situations for officers.