The News is Not All Bad

Crime In Context

With recent reports regarding the uptick in juvenile violence and gang-related crime, along with local news coverage of serious crimes such as the South Park attack, the shooting of a 17-year-old boy in the Leschi neighborhood, and the shooting death of a convenience store clerk in Ballard, it would be easy to assume that crime is up and that personal safety is at an all-time low.

However, these statistics provide some context to the news reports on crime:

• Since 1980, Part I (i.e. violent, non-drug related) crimes are down 40% in Washington State;

• Car theft is down 53% since 2006;

• Drug crimes also appear to be on the decline:  In 2005, 35% of the PAO's cases were drug-related -- today it is 21%.  Just five years ago 22% of prison inmates in Washington were held for drug-related crimes -- this year it is 12%;

• The incarceration rate for the King County jail is 132 per 100,000 -- almost half of the national average of 258 per 100,000.

If watching the evening news leaves you feeling unsettled, it may help to keep these statistics in mind.

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