Crime Trends
Downtown sees lowest incidents of violent crime since 2018
After steadily rising for most of the past decade, incidents of violent crime downtown fell for a second consecutive year in 2023. Counter to perceptions, downtown Seattle has made significant progress dealing with violent crime. From a peak in 2021, violent crime downtown has declined to the lowest point since 2018 (excluding the pandemic impact of 2020). Notably, the downtown core saw even steeper declines in the amount of violent crime than downtown as a whole.
According to a Gallup poll conducted in July 2023 with a random sample of adults in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, respondents considered Seattle the third-safest city in the country. However, their overall perception of Seattle’s safety declined from the previous survey. The perceptions of downtown as unsafe do not reflect current-day reality but do highlight the challenge of getting more visitors and office workers to return.
While violent crime rates have decreased from post-pandemic highs, certain crimes such as aggravated assaults remain significantly higher than they were 10 years ago. Additionally, the issue of street disorder remains a serious challenge. Visible encampments, open-air drug markets and drug use, and untreated mental illness undermine perceptions of safety and security in the center city and create an environment of unease and discomfort.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Seattle was ranked the third-safest city in a Gallup poll of a random sample of adults living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, with 63% of respondents noting Seattle as safe to live in or visit.
- The incidents of violent crime downtown fell in 2023 to the lowest level since 2018.
- The downtown core has seen a significant decline in violent crime of nearly 23% from the post-pandemic high point in 2021.
- The number of homeless encampments downtown has declined significantly since the pandemic.
- Emergency calls from the West Precinct were nearly double the amount received in the next-closest precinct, with many related to overdoses.
Incidents of violent crime downtown declined for a second consecutive year (excluding 2020, which was impacted by the pandemic) after previously rising for most of the prior decade.
In 2023, the number of violent crime incidents downtown decreased by 10% from 2022, falling to 1,352 — the lowest number since 2018.
2013–2023
2013–2023
There were 316 violent offenses in the center of downtown in 2023 — a nearly 14% decline from 2022, and a 23% decline from the post-pandemic high.
Much of the decline is attributable to a decrease in the number of aggravated assaults.
2008–2023
Robbery, the second-most-common offense downtown, is also on the decline — down 17% from 2022.
In 2023, downtown experienced the fewest number of robberies since 2010.
Aggravated assaults remain the most frequent violent offense to occur downtown, with 858 acts in 2023.
Overall, aggravated assaults have decreased by more than 11% from the 2021 peak, but remain much higher than a decade ago.
By police beat 2023
By police beat 2023
Police Beat K1 was the only downtown beat that had year-over-year increases (2022-2023) in violent crime offenses, increasing by 10%.
The downtown beats with the highest percentage declines were Police Beat Q3 (Uptown) with a 25% decrease and M1 (downtown core) with a 21% decrease in violent offenses.
While significantly lower than the pandemic peak, 2023 saw a higher monthly average of tents downtown than in 2022.
By SPD precinct
