According to latest Sheriffs and Police Chiefs report, Burien’s overall crime rate decreased –7.3% over 2022 rates

Every year, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) is tasked with compiling a statewide crime report for all cities and counties in Washington State.

WASPC’s 2023 report was released this week, and shows that Burien’s overall crime rate decreased –7.3% over 2022 rates.

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In contrast, Burien saw an uptick in various criminal activities:

• The city recorded a significant rise in motor vehicle thefts, increasing by +18.4% from 2022 to 2023, with 753 incidents reported.
• Simple assaults slightly decreased by -3.1%, but aggravated assaults dropped more notably by -11.5%.
• Violations of no-contact and protective orders saw a notable decline of -23.9%.
• Property crimes in Burien also showed mixed trends.
• Burglary incidents decreased by -22.8%, and larceny-theft offenses fell by -17.8%.

Despite these reductions, the overall property crime rate remains a concern with continued incidents of destruction of property and fraud offenses.

The crime statistics for Burien in 2023 show mixed trends compared to nearby cities in South King County, including SeaTac, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Tukwila, Kent, and Auburn. While Burien experienced a significant rise in motor vehicle thefts (up +18.4% with 753 incidents) and drug/narcotic violations (up +56.3% with 111 cases), some neighboring cities reported different patterns.

SeaTac, for example, saw a notable increase in motor vehicle thefts (up +31.9%) and drug/narcotic violations (up +135.7%), reflecting similar issues faced in Burien. Des Moines had an increase in motor vehicle thefts and aggravated assault cases, while Normandy Park experienced a rise in simple assaults and drug/narcotic violations. Tukwila saw a decrease in burglary but an increase in aggravated assaults and weapon law violations.

Kent reported a high volume of motor vehicle thefts and significant increases in aggravated assaults and drug violations, while Auburn showed an overall decrease in violent crimes but a rise in property crimes.

Statewide, the report highlighted a reduction in overall crime but noted increases in specific categories such as hate crimes, vehicle thefts, and offenses committed by juveniles. The number of commissioned law enforcement officers has not kept pace with Washington’s growing population, leaving the state with the lowest per capita rate of officers in the nation at just 1.35 officers per thousand residents, marking a historic low.

Officials said that the process used in this report ensures consistency in data methods across all agencies.

Key Crime Stats for Burien

Total Offenses:

Burien reported a total of 3,884 Group A offenses*, marking a –7.3% decrease from 2022.

*A Group A offense refers to a classification used in the NIBRS for reporting crime data, and encompass a wide range of serious crimes and are divided into several categories:

1. Crimes Against Persons: Offenses such as murder, rape, aggravated assault, and kidnapping.

2. Crimes Against Property: Offenses including burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, and fraud.

3. Crimes Against Society: Offenses such as drug/narcotic violations, weapon law violations, and prostitution-related crimes.

Clearance Rate:

The clearance rate* for these offenses was 22.2%.

*Clearance rate is a measure used by law enforcement agencies to indicate the proportion of reported crimes that have been “cleared” or solved.

Arrests:

There were 764 arrests, with 725 adults and 39 juveniles taken into custody.

Violent Crimes:

• Murder: There was a significant, +200% increase in murders, rising from 2 in 2022 to 6 in 2023.
• Aggravated Assault: Aggravated assaults decreased by 11.5%, with 138 incidents reported.
• Rape: Rape cases slightly decreased by 9.4%, with 29 reported incidents.

Property Crimes:

• Burglary: Burglary incidents saw a significant decrease of 22.8%, with 328 cases.
• Larceny-Theft: Larceny-theft offenses fell by 17.8%, totaling 890 cases.
• Motor Vehicle Theft: Motor vehicle thefts rose by 18.4%, reaching 753 incidents.
• Arson: Arson cases remained stable, with 19 incidents reported.

Other Notable Crimes:

• Drug/Narcotic Violations: These offenses saw a substantial increase of 56.3%, with 111 reported violations.
• Weapon Law Violations: Violations of weapon laws decreased by 46.9%, with 51 cases.

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This is the 44th annual publication of the Washington Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program report of criminal offenses, arrests, law enforcement officers killed or assaulted, and full-time law enforcement employees. Funding for the Washington State UCR Program is provided through contract with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) and administration of the program is the responsibility of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) Criminal Justice Information Support (CJIS) Department. The Washington State UCR Program is unique in that it is sponsored, administered, and supported by an organization of contributing agency administrators rather than a bureau or department of state government.

The Crime in Washington 2023 is based on crime statistic data submitted from Washington law enforcement agencies using the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). There are important factors the reader must consider when reading or using this report as well as crime statistic reports available from the FBI or other sources:

1. The data used to compile this report are based on a “snapshot” of our repository database as of March 26, 2024. In NIBRS, there are no “fixed” statistics because law enforcement agencies update their incidents as new information becomes available.
2. The data used in this report are based on the NIBRS method of submitting crime statistics. It is more comprehensive and detailed than the prior Summary Reporting System (SRS) method, so the statistics published in NIBRS and SRS should not be compared.
3. The data displayed in this report should not be compared to the FBI Crime in The United States 2023 report which will be published later this year. The Washington State UCR Program forwards the crime data to the FBI in the NIBRS format; however, the FBI may convert NIBRS to the SRS format, use estimations, or omit agencies that have not submitted all twelve months for 2023.
4. The data displayed per agency in this report should not be used to compare to other agencies or compile “rankings” of cities and counties. There are several variables that contribute to crime in a particular jurisdiction, including the demographics, economic, and cultural make-up of the population, the local industrial and economic base, its dependence on neighboring jurisdictions, the transportation system, its economic dependence on non- residents (such as tourists, shoppers, or other day-time visitors), and its proximity to military installations, correctional facilities, universities/colleges, or state hospitals.

The full report can be viewed/downloaded here.