Seattle Crime Falls Overall as Precincts Diverge
Seattle Police Department data shows overall reported crime declined across all five precincts year over year, while violent crime rose in two.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Property Crime
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An October 2026 Seattle Police Department newsletter reported that overall reported crime declined year over year in all five precincts, with declines ranging from 1.8% in the West Precinct to 7.2% in the East Precinct. Violent crime moved in different directions, rising in the West and East precincts while falling in the Southwest, South, and North precincts.
Why it matters
The mixed precinct-level results show that citywide trends are not uniform across Seattle's neighborhoods, which may affect where residents and businesses see changes in safety. The comparisons also give the public and city leaders a year-over-year baseline for evaluating police deployment in each area.
The Seattle Police Department newsletter compared crime, calls for service and officer activity year over year by precinct. Shootings fell 41.3% in the South Precinct, the largest drop reported, while motor vehicle theft fell 31.5% in the Southwest Precinct.
The players
Seattle Police Department
The municipal police agency serving Seattle, which publishes precinct-level crime statistics and operates the five precincts discussed in the newsletter.
The details
The newsletter reported that the East Precinct recorded 18 more rapes than the same period last year, the South Precinct recorded 13 more, and the North Precinct recorded 14 more rapes alongside seven fewer homicides. The figures were presented as comparisons of crime, calls for service and officer activity by precinct.
Timeline
October 2026: Seattle Police Department newsletter reports precinct crime comparisons.
Seasonal Patterns
The October 2026 newsletter follows the Seattle Police Department's practice of reporting crime by precinct against the same period of the prior year, which shows where citywide totals mask divergent neighborhood trends. Compared against the department's own year-over-year baseline, the mixed violent-crime movements in the West and East precincts are the figures that stand out.
Residents in the East and West precincts may notice that violent crime rose year over year while overall crime fell, which can inform decisions about personal safety precautions. Seattle businesses and property owners in the South and Southwest precincts saw declines in shootings and motor vehicle theft, which may bear on security planning.
The takeaway
Citywide crime totals can conceal sharp differences between precincts, so residents may find it useful to check precinct-level figures for their own neighborhood. Comparing each area against the same period the prior year gives a clearer picture of whether conditions are improving or worsening locally.
Further reading
For more on local trends, see Property Crime coverage for Seattle.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOMO.
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