Violent crime drops again in Washington state
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Violent crime fell across Washington in 2024, with fewer murders, assaults and robberies, according to new statewide data from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
Why it matters: It's the second year in a row crime has declined across the state — a trend mirroring falling violence rates nationally after pandemic-era spikes.
What they're saying: "Today's data shows that the decreases in gun violence in 2024 and the first quarter of this year were not a fluke," King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion tells Axios.
By the numbers: Seattle saw declines in several violent and property crime categories in 2024, per WASPC.
- Murder dropped 23.5%, to 52, from an all-time high in 2023.
- Simple assault and intimidation were each down more than 10%.
- Motor vehicle theft fell nearly 20% in Seattle and 28% in King County, per the report.
Zoom out: Violent crime in Washington dropped 7.6% in 2024 compared with 2023, with declines across nearly every major category, per the report.
- Murders fell nearly 19%, from 384 to 312.
- Aggravated assaults declined from 19,073 to 18,064, a 5.3% drop, while robbery fell 15.7%, from 6,515 to 5,493 incidents.
- Property crime decreased a little over 13%.
Yes but: Drug and domestic violence violations rose, with drug violations up 31% and nearly half of all crimes against people domestic violence-related, per the report.
The bottom line: Falling crime rates are a welcome shift, but officials say it's not time to celebrate.
- "We still have work to do," says Manion.