Tacoma had more reported rapes than any city in state last year, FBI data show
Tacoma had more reported rapes than any city in Washington in 2015, according to FBI data released Monday.
The city’s 147 rapes last year were three more than the 144 in Seattle, and an increase of 13 over the FBI’s 2014 Uniform Crime Reporting program data.
The FBI data did have some good news for Tacoma: The city’s total of burglaries decreased to 2,552 in 2015, from 3,127 in 2014, after police launched their Burglary Reduction Initiative in January 2015.
Tacoma was second in violent crimes per person, one of three Pierce County cities in the top four in the state.
In 2015, Fife had a total of 93 homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults in a city of 9,642 people, leading the state with 9.65 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
Tacoma’s 1,694 violent crimes for 206,884 people put the city second with 8.19 violent crimes per 1,000 people, and the raw total was second behind Seattle. Tacoma had 1,625 violent crimes in 2014.
Third was Tukwila, population 20,116, with 7.51 violent crimes per 1,000 people, and fourth was Lakewood, population 59,958, with 6.90 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
Seattle was fifth with 4,093 violent crimes for 683,700 people, a rate of 5.99 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
The safest city in the South Sound is Enumclaw, with five violent crimes in a city of 11,657. Roy, population 808, had the same total.
The FBI compiles the data from local jurisdictions and says many variables can affect how crimes are reported.
Statewide, the rate of violent crimes decreased from 2.858 per 1,000 people to 2.844 from 2014 to 2015. Property crimes decreased from 36.989 offenses per 1,000 in 2014 to 34.638 offenses per 1,000 in 2015.
The United States saw a 3.9 percent increase in the estimated number of violent crimes from 2014 to 2015, but a 2.6 percent decrease in property crimes.
Kenny Ocker: 253-597-8627, @KennyOcker
This story was originally published September 26, 2016 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Tacoma had more reported rapes than any city in state last year, FBI data show."