Crime is up, and number of officers down, in 2022 Crime in Washington Report

Lacey, WA-Crime was up and the number of law enforcement officers was down in the latest Crime in Washington report for 2022. The rate of murders, violent and property crimes rose across the state, while the number of officers available to respond and serve our communities decreased again in 2022.

The annual Crime in Washington report tracks crime and arrest data from contributing law enforcement agencies throughout Washington. The report is compiled by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).

The report shows that there were 394 murders in 2022, an increase of 16.6 percent over 2021. This is the highest number of murders recorded since WASPC began collecting this data in 1980. Homicides have increased 96 percent since 2019. Crimes against persons, property and society all increased in 2022, and violent crimes showed an increase of 8.9 percent.

The total number of commissioned officers statewide was 10,666, down from 10,736 in 2021, while the total population of the state increased by 93,262. Washington again is ranked 51st out of the 50 states and District of Columbia for the number of officers per thousand residents.

Reported cases of officers assaulted was 2,375 in 2022, an increase of 20.7 percent.

Other data may show crime has decreased in some parts of the United States but overall crime in Washington has continued to rise. The data in this latest report should be used by policy makers to continue to develop balanced approaches that respect victims of crime and increase safety for all Washingtonians.

CIW 2022 Facts at a Glance

The total population for the State of Washington is 7,865,768.

Full-time commissioned officers totaled 10,666.

There was a total of 2,375 assaults on law enforcement officers. Two officers were killed in the line of duty.

Motor vehicle theft rose 34 percent.

There were 394 murders.

Domestic Violence offenses make up 45.9 percent of all Crimes Against Persons.

A total of 544 hate crime incidents were reported.

1,444 arrests for Drug/Narcotic Violations were down from 2,163 in 2021.

The Crime in Washington 2022 report is compiled with data from 231 state, county, municipal, and Tribal agencies and is designed to give residents, elected officials, and law enforcement data-driven information about crime in their communities. The numbers are derived from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) submissions. The data should not be compared to the FBI Crime in The United States 2022 report which will be published later this year. The Washington State Uniform Crime Reporting Program forwards the crime data to the FBI in the NIBRS format; however, the FBI may convert NIBRS to a Summary Reporting System format, use estimations, or omit agencies that have not submitted all twelve months for 2022.

About: WASPC was founded in 1963 and consists of executive and top management personnel from law enforcement agencies statewide. With more than 900 members it includes county sheriffs, and 240 police chiefs, as well as the Washington State Patrol, the Washington Department of Corrections, and representatives of several federal

agencies. WASPC is the only association of its kind in the nation combining representatives from local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement into a single body, working toward a common goal. WASPC’s function is to provide specific materials and services to all law enforcement agencies in the state, members, and non-members alike.