WASHINGTON — Murder reached an all-time high in 2022 and violent crime rose in Washington state while law enforcement staffing continue to nosedive, according to findings from the annual Crime in Washington report.
According to the annual report compiled by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), there were 394 murders reported in Washington state in 2022, setting a new all-time record. The 394 murders eclipsed Washington's previous record of 325 which was set in 2021. The crime report found that murders increased by nearly 17% in one year.
While the total number of murders reached an all-time high in 2022, Washington state's murder rate was higher in 1994 when adjusted for population, according to data compiled from the report. There were 297 murders reported across the state in 1994.
As murders have increased for three straight years, the report found that violent crime increased by 8.5% in 2022. Robberies were up 18% in 2022 and over 12,000 more cars were stolen last year compared to 2021 totals.
The uptick trend in violent crime has coincided with a steep decline in officers in Washington.
According to the report, Washington state ranks 51st in the nation in staffing with 10,666 officers in 2022. This marks the state's 13th straight year of being last in the nation in law enforcement staffing.
The state's per capita total of officers was 1.36 in 2022, the lowest mark on record. If Washington state reached the national average in officer staffing (2.31 officers per capita), there would be 18,201 sworn officers in the state. That's over 7,500 more officers than currently staffed in Washington.
The report said the reduced law enforcement staffing leaves many agencies "treading water" and means there is less ability to provide justice for victims, fewer people to de-escalate and less behavioral health assistance.
While staffing shortages continue, a law enforcement training center in Burien is graduating new recruits every week, with more waiting for their turn.
"We are very crammed in here, we use every single classroom,” said Monica Alexander, the executive director at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. "You will see people in the gym doing defensive tactics, learning defensive tactics. You'll see in the parking lot doing mock traffic stops.”
Right now, there's a waitlist, according to Alexander.
"It is approximately five months," she said. "It can be anywhere from five to seven months, and listen we know that that is an unreasonable wait time."
She says that is why they are adding more classes. They are working to open two more regional academies, one in Clark County and the other in Skagit County.
"I love that we are graduating classes every other week and starting classes every other week because that tells me that we are going to be filling those spots,” said Alexander.