Seattle crime declining: Which offenses are leading the trend?

The number of crime incidents in Seattle saw an overall decrease last week, after a previous rise, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects reports from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents fell to 1,934 for the week of August 12, down from 2,354 the week before.

The specific offenses that decreased the most were theft and burglary. Theft fell to 285 incidents last week, from 344 the week before. Burglary went from 120 to 92. Reports of burglary have continued to fall for the last two weeks.

Among other categories, there was also a decrease in vandalism, from 62 incidents per week to 46, and in assault, from 137 to 119 incidents.

There was one reported shooting last week. That represents a decrease from two incidents the previous week.

Among the few types of offenses that saw an uptick last week, reports of robbery went from 15 to 19.

There were 1,372 reports of "other" crimes, a decrease of 302 from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations. Of those incidents, 25 involved arrests, such as for drug possession, up from 20 reported arrests the week before.

Considering the concentration of crime across the city, Belltown, Capitol Hill and the University District had the most reported incidents last week. Capitol Hill was at the top of the list the previous week as well.

Capitol Hill saw the largest decline. Crime reports in Ballard also fell, after increasing the week before, and incidents in Delridge are down considerably as well.

Regarding when crime most often occurs, Friday, Saturday and Sunday saw the most reported crimes last week. The largest decrease from the previous week occurred on Wednesday, Saturday and Thursday, while incidents on Tuesday and Sunday went up. Comparing times of day, late night, early morning and evening saw the most crime last week.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

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This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.