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2008 Crime Statistics PRECINCT DATA BY BEAT:
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(Links to XLS NOTE: After initial crime reports are taken, further investigation may result in a reclassification of the crime to another category or in the determination that a crime did not occur. For 2008, a correction report was run at the end of the year to account for such situations, resulting in changes to annual totals. However, monthly reports at the precinct level were not re-created to reflect these changes. For this reason, month-to-month summaries will not in all cases sum to the annual totals. PRECINCT CRIME TREND OVERVIEW The overall crime decrease in 2008 was not experienced uniformly across the city. Three precincts – North, East and Southwest – registered crime decreases; while two precincts – South and West – showed increases in Major Crimes. Understanding the true level of crime changes in each precinct in 2008, however, is complicated by boundary changes among four of them. As geography formerly in one precinct shifted to another one, the crime in that geographic area was then counted in the new precinct. The two precincts with the most significant changes to beat boundaries were South and West. For more on changes to precinct boundaries and beats, please read more on the Neighborhood Policing Project. Because South and West Precincts showed a crime trend counter to that for the city as a whole, both precincts began deploying officers and devoting resources to hot spot enforcement and tracking these efforts. In West Precinct, efforts were focused on entertainment venues and open air drug markets to prevent incidents from occurring or escalating. In South Precinct, the focus has been on assaults and predatory behaviors committed by, or directed at, young people. The Precinct has a strong and active role in the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, working in and with the schools, and coordinating efforts with the Gang Unit to anticipate and prevent violent incidents. The work of all precincts to address and prevent crime will be advanced as police staffing continues to grow. The Department hired 111 new officers in 2008, exceeding its hiring goal of 92. By the beginning of summer 2009, an additional 45-50 new officers will have completed training and will be deployed. MAJOR CRIMES BY PRECINCT When looking at precinct-level crime statistics, keep in mind that the precincts vary in size. The North Precinct, for example, covers the largest geographic area and has about 2.5 times as many residents as the next most populated precinct (Southwest). The other three precincts have about the same number of residents, although the population in the West Precinct (covering downtown) swells by about 30% during daytime hours. Chart A below depicts Major Crimes reported in each precinct over the past five years. Major crimes are: homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, which make up Violent Crimes; and burglary, larceny/theft and vehicle theft, which make up Property Crimes. As can be seen in the chart, the overall trend has been a decline in Major Crimes with the highest levels occurring in 2004 and 2005. Unlike the other precincts, West and South Precincts experienced crime increases in 2008. However, the crime trends shown in each precinct in 2008 are difficult to interpret, because of boundary changes among four of the five precincts. Chart A: Reported Major Crimes by Precinct, 2004-2008
VIOLENT CRIMES BY PRECINCT Chart B depicts total Violent Crimes reported in each precinct for the five-year period 2004-2008. Violent Crimes are homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults. The general trend in Violent Crimes has also been downward, with the highest levels reported in either 2005 or 2006 in most precincts. The exception is in South Precinct where Violent Crimes were higher in 2008 than in previous years. Changes in precinct boundaries affected the 2008 numbers in four of the five precincts. Chart B: Reported Violent Crimes by Precinct, 2004-2008 PROPERTY CRIMES BY PRECINCT Chart C below portrays reported Property Crime by precinct for the five-year period, 2004-2008. Property Crimes include burglary, larceny/thefts (such as car prowls, shoplifts, etc.) and vehicle thefts. As can be seen in the chart, the overall trend has been a decline in Property Crimes over the five-year period with the highest levels reported in 2004 or 2005 in most precincts. West and South Precincts show a different trend in 2008, with both reporting Property Crime increases. The trend in 2008, however, is likely influenced by changes in precinct boundaries affecting four of the five precincts. Chart C: Reported Property Crimes by Precinct, 2004-2008 For a more detailed look at crime trends in each precinct for the five-year period, for 2008 and by specific crimes, click on the 2008 Stats Summaries for each precinct. |
2008 PRECINCT CRIME STATS SUMMARIES The stats summaries provide a detailed analysis of 2008 crimes for each precinct: |
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