The FBI’s 2022 national crime statistics released Monday show that while national violent crime decreased last year, it increased in Washington and Clark County.
Over the past 10 years, Washington’s violent crime rate has trended much lower than the national rate, the FBI’s data shows, but last year saw the state rate nearly match the national rate. The agency defines violent crime as homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults.
Of the 275 law enforcement agencies in the state, 255 of them reported data to the FBI’s database, including eight agencies in Clark County.
The national violent crime rate decreased from 387 incidents per 100,000 people in 2021 to 380 incidents per 100,000 people in 2022, which brought the statistic back in line with pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, Washington’s violent crime rate jumped from 336 incidents per 100,000 people in 2021 to 376 incidents per 100,000 people in 2022, according to the data.
The state homicide rate rose last year, yet still remained below the national rate.
There were five homicides per 100,000 people reported statewide, which was up from a rate of 4.3 reported in 2021 and 3.9 reported in 2020. Nationally, the homicide rate last year was 6.3 per 100,000 people. That rate was down from 6.8 in 2021 and 6.5 in 2020, the data shows.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office reported five homicides last year, four in 2021 and three in 2020. The Vancouver Police Department reported 14 homicides last year, 12 in 2021 and five in 2020, according to the report.
Property crime rates were on the rise nationally and locally.
Vancouver police saw 1,000 more property crime incidents last year compared with the year prior and about 3,000 more incidents than in 2020. The sheriff’s office handled about 700 more property crime incidents than in 2021 and about 1,000 more than in 2020. The county agency’s property crime reports matched the level in 2012, the data shows.
The nationwide property crime rate had hit a 10-year low in 2021, but increased last year to about the same level as in 2020, according to the report.
