Some King County cities see crime rise

While the FBI is reporting that violent crime and property crime largely declined nationwide last year, the picture is decidedly different in several Seattle-area cities.

In Bellevue, Everett and Federal Way, for example, violent crime was up in 2008 compared to 2007, according to the FBI's annual Crime in United States report. The FBI report is compiled from crime statistics reported in 2008 by the nation's police departments.

The FBI reported that murder and manslaughter dropped by almost 4 percent nationwide last year and that crime, overall, was lower than in 2007. Nationally, property crimes declined overall in 2008, by 0.8 percent, according to the FBI. That reduction was largely driven by a 12.7 percent drop in car thefts.

In Bellevue, there were 168 violent crimes, including rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults, reported in 2008 compared to the 138 reported in 2007. In 2008, there were 4,289 property crimes in Bellevue compared with 4,181.

According to the 2008 FBI report, violent crime and property crime were down in Seattle.

However, the Seattle Police Department, which maintains its own statistics, reports that while the 2008 statistics did show crime at an all-time low in the city, the tide may have turned.

Statistics from the Police Department show that violent crime in Seattle through June 2009 is up 22 percent compared to the same period in 2008.

"Yes, major crimes are up, especially robberies," said Seattle police spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, speaking about the department's 2009 statistics.

Whitcomb said Seattle police believe economic factors are responsible, in part, for the current crime increases in the city.

Typically, crime is expected to rise during economic hard times, said Alfred Blumstein, a professor of criminal justice at Carnegie-Mellon University.

Last year's data were not reflective of the current economic cycle because the most serious economic impacts came toward the end of 2008, he said.

"Crime stats are meaningless to people who have been victimized or who know someone who has been victimized," said Whitcomb. "We understand that. We recognize the need to work on building relationships with people and being visible to citizens."

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.