FBI: Reports of crimes in Vancouver down in 2014

Reports of crimes in Vancouver were down in 2014 from the year before, according to the latest round of crime reporting statistics from the FBI.

According to the FBI’s Crime in the United States report for 2014, released Monday, there were about 11 percent fewer reports to police of property crime in Vancouver in 2014 when compared to 2013, or about 5,300 fewer reports.

Last year also saw 20 percent fewer reports of property crimes than in 2010.

Reports of violent crime also decreased slightly in Vancouver, with 577 reports of violent crime made in 2014 versus 593 in 2013.

The agency’s data come from reports made to law enforcement. Many crimes aren’t reported, so the FBI’s annual crime data don’t necessarily include all crimes in a given year.

Also, as it does every year, the FBI reminded readers that crime report data often aren’t helpful for comparing agencies or areas save the broadest of strokes; the data don’t reflect the circumstances of communities’ geography, demographics or other factors, so users should be wary not to read too much into the information.

For example, Seattle’s 2014 property crime rate was roughly double Vancouver’s rate — more than 6,000 reports per 100,000 people versus more than 3,000 reports per 100,000 — but part of that might be because Seattle is substantially more dense and has a higher concentration of young people, both of which can affect crime rates.

Vancouver’s rate of property crime in 2014 was slightly greater than the national rate, but lower than the state’s and other regional cities’ rates. In Vancouver, there were 3,118 reports of property crime per 100,000 residents; Spokane had 8,559 reports per 100,000 residents; Yakima had 4,928 reports per 100,000 residents; Portland had 5,235 reports per 100,000 residents; Washington state had 3,706 reports per 100,000 residents; and the U.S. as a whole had 2,596 reports per 100,000 residents, according to the FBI.

Violent crime data for 2014 and 2013 aren’t easily comparable with years prior. They’re also difficult, at times, to compare between jurisdictions.

In 2013, the FBI broadened its official definition of rape to be clearer and more inclusive. Not every jurisdiction immediately followed suit, so some reporting totals were higher or lower than they’d be otherwise and are not readily comparable.

Many areas, including the city of Vancouver and Washington state, did use the bureau’s new definition, so some comparisons are possible.

Vancouver’s rate of violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents in 2014 was 342. Statewide, 2014 saw 285 reports per 100,000 people. Nationwide, the estimated rate for violent crime reporting was 365 per 100,000 people.

Nationwide, reports of property crimes decreased by a total of 4.3 percent from 2013 to 2014, according to the FBI. Still, those crimes amounted to an estimated $14.3 billion in losses. Nationally, the estimated number of violent crimes in the U.S. decreased by 0.2 percent in 2014 compared to the previous year.