Washington state comes in last in safety stats nationwide: report

Last week, the FBI released national crime data for 2024 showing declines in most major violent crime categories across the US Between 2019 and 2024, the national murder rate dropped 3.55 percent. In Washington, it soared 42.46 percent.

Nationally, violent crime fell 6.28 percent over the same span, yet Washington’s violent crime rate climbed 8.16 percent. Aggravated assaults rose just 2.14 percent nationwide, but in Washington they surged 18.84 percent, nearly nine times higher.

Vehicle thefts tell a similar story: US thefts rose 15.99 percent, while Washington’s jumped 34.87 percent, more than double the national pace. While robbery and rape edged downward, property crime is also declining more slowly in Washington than elsewhere.

“These numbers speak for themselves,” said Steven D. Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). “Some national reports suggest the crime increases seen during the pandemic have now largely reversed themselves. Unfortunately, that is not the case here in Washington.”

Washington has now ranked last in police staffing per capita for 15 consecutive years, according to WASPC. The long-term shortage, combined with restrictive policing laws passed in recent years, is cited as a key factor behind the state’s crime trends.

“You’re going to hear phrases like, ‘We’re now below pre-pandemic levels’ or ‘The pandemic crime spike has been eliminated,’” Strachan told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI. “That may be true nationally, but here in Washington, we’re not seeing that. Our spike was greater, and our reductions are lower. Policy matters, and our laws matter.”

WalletHub’s analysis placed Washington 36th overall among the 50 states, weighing affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Strong showings in economy (10th), education and health (14th), and quality of life (8th) could not outweigh the state’s last-place finish on safety and poor affordability score (36th). This survey was done before factoring in that Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson recently signed the largest tax increase in state history.

The state’s economy, driven by technology, aerospace, and trade, ranked 10th in the nation. Education and health came in at 14th, while quality of life, bolstered by natural beauty, cultural amenities, and recreation, ranked 8th.