Crime Decreased in Edmonds Last Year

Overall crime in Edmonds last year saw a 8.5 percent drop from the prior year, reports the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) in a study released last week.

Two categories, however, saw increases. There were nine rapes in 2010, compared to four in 2009. And the number of arson cases increased from 11 to 14.

Edmonds Police Chief Al Compaan says Edmonds’ downward crime trend is similar to what has been experienced statewide and across the country over the past five-plus years.

“The decline is due to a variety of socioeconomic factors and has actually run counter to loosely correlated trends in the past that have shown some increase in crime during recessionary periods,” said Compaan. He pointed to a 6.8 percent drop in violent crime and a 8.6 percent drop in property crime in Edmonds in 2010.

“The overall crime rate in Edmonds, considering our population of 40,900, makes Edmonds one of the safest communities of any city our size in the Puget Sound area,” said Compaan. “This is due to the demographics of our city, as well as a citizenry who are proactive with crime and suspicious persons reporting, and an engaged police department that is very concerned with maintaining a quality community for our residents.”

Being proactive is the idea behind , an annual event sponsored by the Edmonds Police Foundation. This year's event will be held July 26.

Here’s a closer look at statistics compiled by the WASPC, which was founded in 1963 and consists of executive and top management personnel from law enforcement agencies statewide.

Total crime

929 in 2010, 1,015 in 2009, decrease of 8.5 percent. Rate per 1,000 residents, 22.7, decrease from 24.8 in 2009. (Snohomish County average for 2010 was 34.7 per 1,000 residents.)

Violent crime

68 in 2010, 73 in 2009, decrease of 6.8 percent. Rate per 1,000, 1.7, decrease from 1.8 in 2009

Murder: 0 in 2010, 1 in 2009, decrease of 100 percent

Rape: Nine in 2010, 4 in 2009, increase of 125 percent

Robbery: 23 in 2010, 27 in 2009, decrease of 14.8 percent

Aggravated assault: 36 in 2010, 41 in 2009, decrease of 12.2 percent

Property crime

Total of 861 in 2010, 942 in 2009, decrease of 8.6 percent. Rate per 1,000, 21.1, decrease from 23.0 in 2009.

Arson: 14 in 2010, 11 in 2009, decrease of 27.3 percent

Burglary: 183 in 2010, 213 in 2009, decrease of 14.1 percent

Larceny: 616 in 2010, 666 in 2009, decrease of 7.5 percent

Motor vehicle theft: 48 in 2010, 52 in 2009, decrease of 7.7 percent 

For a look at other crime statistics for cities in Snohomish County and the rest of Washington state, go to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs' Crime Statistics page and click on the Local Agency Data Display link.