WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. – Violent crimes saw a spike in Washington state over the past year, according to a new report.
The report, released by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, showed that the number of murders, robberies, serious assaults and other violent crimes rose significantly.
At the same time, the number of officers available to respond to them continued to plummet.
The report found that violent crime overall increased 12.3%.
They also said that the number of murders was the most since the the association started tracking the data in 1980, with 325 people being killed in the past year.
Executive director Steve Strachan says there were 495 fewer police employed in the state, which already had the nation’s fewest officers per capita.
Here in Whatcom County, the report found that the number of overall crimes decreased last year.
However, more of the crimes that were reported were considered violent crimes.
Whatcom County saw nearly a 34% increase in violent crimes.