SEATTLE — Seattle continued to contend with increased violent crimes and gun violence last year, according to annual crime statistics released Monday.
This report also included residents’ top safety concerns from the Seattle Police Department’s public safety survey, which include property crime, police capacity and homelessness.
Community concerns were captured in a survey in partnership with Seattle University last October, to collect data at the neighborhood level for the department’s Micro Community Policing Plans.
The annual report includes data that is subject to change, depending on delayed reporting, classification changes and investigative updates, according to police. For the most up-to-date data, visit SPD’s crime dashboard at st.news/SPDcrime.
Here are 5 key takeaways from the police department’s 2022 crime report.
Violent crime rate at a 15-year high
2022 saw the highest violent crime rate in 15 years, with an increase from 729 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2021 to 736 per 100,000 residents last year.
Crime rates represent the number of crimes reported relative to the size of the city’s population. The actual number of violent crimes reported increased about 4 percent from 2021 to 2022, according to the report.
The increase in crime overall reflects the spike in violent crime that began in 2020 and shows little sign of dropping back to pre-pandemic levels. Homicides increased by 24 percent and aggravated assault totals continue to be the highest reported in the last 10 years. The majority of homicide victims died from gun violence.
Crime down in fourth quarter
The fourth quarter, which includes October through December, saw a decrease in crime, with notable reductions in aggravated assault and larceny-theft. December had the fewest number of reported crimes citywide in 2022; March had the highest number.
Gun violence is up
Seventy-three percent of the city’s 55 homicide victims died from gun violence. Shootings and shots-fired events were at an all-time high, beating 2021, which held the previous all-time high.
Seattle saw a 19 percent increase in verified criminal shootings and shots-fired reports citywide, compared to 2021, the report states. In 2022, there were 39 fatal shootings, 157 non-fatal shootings and 543 verified shots-fired reports, compared to 32, 142 and 446, respectively, in 2021. This is a 125 percent increase compared to pre-pandemic totals in 2019.
The city saw a 13 percent increase in overall shootings, both fatal and nonfatal, compared to 2021. Gun violence was more concentrated, particularly in the Chinatown International District, Brighton/Dunlap and Northgate. The percentage of nightlife-related shootings and shots fired nearly doubled between 2021 and 2022.
Motor vehicle theft increased significantly
Motor vehicle thefts increased 30 percent from 2021 to 2022, and were significantly high when compared to a five-year weighted average, according to the report. There was a noted increase in thefts of Hyundai and Kias, due to an internet trend that gained popularity and shows viewers how to easily steal these vehicle makes.
Nearly 70 percent of stolen vehicles were recovered.
Neighborhoods hit the hardest in 2022 include Northgate, Roosevelt/Ravenna, Queen Anne and Capitol Hill.
Bias incidents down
Bias incidents decreased by 18 percent and hate crimes decreased by 14 percent. The total reported bias incidents decreased by 7 percent. However, bias-based incidents are often underreported, so police statistics may not truly reflect the number of hate crimes or other bias crimes occurring in Seattle.
Among the 880 total bias-related reports in 2022, 61 percent involved race and ethnicity, 19 percent involved sexual orientation, 4 percent involved religion, 4 percent involved gender identity and 3 percent involved homelessness.
