Crime going down in Seattle: What's the latest in the trend?

Crime going down in Seattle: What's the latest in the trend?Photo: iStock
Hoodline
Published on June 20, 2019

The number of crime incidents in Seattle saw an overall decrease last week, after a previous rise, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents fell to 1,646 for the week of June 10, down from 2,174 the week before.

The specific offenses that decreased the most were theft and burglary. Theft fell to 195 incidents last week, from 300 the week before. Burglary went from 116 to 67.

Among other categories, there was also a decrease in assault, from 124 incidents per week to 86, and in vandalism, from 43 to 39 incidents.

There was one reported shooting last week. That represents a steady state from the previous week. There were also 16 incidents of robbery, down from 18 the week before.

There were 1,242 reports of "other" crimes, a decrease of 330 from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations. Of those incidents, 16 involved arrests, such as for drug possession, down from 29 reported arrests the week before.

Looking at crime patterns in different areas of the city, Capitol Hill, Central Business District and Ballard had the most reported incidents last week. Capitol Hill and Central Business District were at the top of the list the previous week as well.

Central Business District saw the largest decline. Crime reports in Belltown also fell, after increasing the week before, and incidents in Queen Anne are down considerably as well.

Regarding when crime most often occurs, Sunday, Friday and Wednesday saw the most reported crimes last week. The largest decrease from the previous week occurred on Wednesday, Thursday and Tuesday, while incidents on Saturday went up. Comparing times of day, early morning, late night and evening saw the most crime last week.

Want a longer-term view of crime in Seattle? Here's our latest monthly crime report.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area.

This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.