Violent crimes edges upward in Washington

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Violent crime in Washington state was up 2 percent last year, including a jump in the rape and aggravated assault statistics, officials reported Monday.

Although national and state crime statistics have dropped in some years over the last decade, both violent crimes and property offenses were up in Washington in 2003, the report by the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs says.

In all, 311,894 crimes, including 21,071 violent crimes, were reported last year, up 2 percent, or about 6,000 cases, over the previous year. The largest single increase, for burglaries, was up nearly 7 percent.

There were 21,071 violent crimes reported in 2003, up from 20,658 in 2002.

The association's 2002 report found no overall increase in all reported crimes over 2001.

Among violent crimes:

-Murder. Authorities reported 185 cases, no change from the previous year.

-Forcible rape. There were 2,778 cases reported, up from 2,674 the previous year, or 3.9 percent.

-Robbery. A slight drop-off, 5,700 down from 5,720, was reported.

-Aggravated assault. The largest category of violent crime, involving 12,408 cases, saw a 2.7 percent increase over 2002, when 12,079 cases were reported.

Property crime accounted for the bulk of all cases reported. The 290,823 cases were up 2 percent over the previous year, when 285,250 cases were opened.

The breakout:

-Burglary. Authorities reported 57,584 cases, up 6.9 percent, an increase of nearly 4,000.

-Larceny-theft. The largest single crime category, involving 190,750 cases last year, was up a bit. The comparable number for 2002 was 189,510.

-Auto theft. Another small increase, with the 40,346 cases representing a 1.4 percent increase, or about an additional 600 stolen vehicles.

-Arson. Authorities said 2,143 cases were reported, up 2.9 percent from the 2,082 incidents the previous year.

Authorities also logged 219 suspected incidents of hate or bias crimes, and 51,594 domestic violence cases, including simple assault and violation of protective or no-contact orders.

The report pegged the value of stolen property at $330 million, and said that more than a third of that property, or $124 million worth, was recovered.

The report also notes that 1,137 law enforcement officers were assaulted during the year and that two were killed in the line of duty.