Violent crime in Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma declined in 2007, FBI says

Following a trend across much of the nation, violent crime in Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma saw a significant drop in 2007, according to statistics released Monday by the FBI.

Nationwide, violent crime appears to have declined in 2007 for the first time in three years, with major cities showing the most significant drops, according to the preliminary FBI report. Violent crime decreased nationally by 1.4 percent from 2006, according to the statistics.

In Seattle, police investigated 24 homicides and 90 rapes in 2007, compared with 30 homicides and 129 rapes in 2006.

"Last year was the lowest in either 39 or 40 years," Seattle police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said about crime rates.

Kerlikowske attributes the crime decrease to extra officers being assigned to busier sections of the city at peak call times and a partnership with the state Department of Corrections, which assigned neighborhood corrections officers to each of the Police Department's five precincts to work in tandem with patrol officers.

The year of 2006 was an exceptionally violent one in Seattle, with six deaths attributed to Kyle Huff at a Capitol Hill house party.

In Bellevue last year, police didn't investigate a single murder but were called to investigate 29 rapes. In 2006, the department investigated three homicides and 42 rapes, according to the FBI.

In Tacoma, police investigated 10 slayings in 2007, compared with 21 the year before. Police were called to 138 rapes in 2007 and 142 in 2006.

Nationally, property crimes were down 2.1 percent in 2007, the largest drop in the past four years. The largest declines were in vehicle theft, down 8.9 percent; rape, down 4.3 percent; and murder, down 2.7 percent, the FBI data showed.

In Seattle, police investigated 33,960 property crimes in 2007, compared with 39,532 in 2006. In Bellevue, police investigated 4,181 property crimes in 2007 and 4,245 the previous year. In Tacoma, police investigated 14,921 property crimes in 2007 and 16,540 in 2006.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com