Shoreline Crime Fell In 2018 — Except Rape, Assault

SHORELINE, WA — Crime fell almost across the board in Shoreline in 2018, according to a year-end report released by the department recently. But there was a notable increase in several crime areas, rape in particular.

Crimes like vehicle theft, burglary, robbery, and arson all dropped in 2018 to record lows dating back four years. For example, there were 230 burglaries citywide in 2018, down from 329 in 2017, and 430 in 2014. The overall crime rate was 21 incidents per 1,000 residents, down from 28 per 1,000 residents in 2017.

Aggravated assaults increased by about 63 percent, however, from 30 incidents in 2017 to 49 in 2018. The most common type of assault was hand-to-hand, with knife (7) and gun (6) assaults making up the next largest share.

Shoreline also had one murder in 2018, up from zero in 2017. On June 16, a 43-year-old man was found shot to death in a car off 15th Avenue Northeast. The shooter was gone by the time police arrived, but police recovered evidence at the scene including a cell phone and shell casings. Police later arrested a 17-year-old from Seattle who is now facing adult homicide and drug charges.

There was a 44 percent increase in rape investigations in 2018 compared to 2017. Many of the incidents were reported by victims in 2018 several years after the rape had occurred, police said. There were no stranger rapes in Shoreline in 2018, the report said. Many cities in the U.S. have seen an increase in rape reports, which has partially been attributed to the #MeToo movement.

You can read the full Shoreline police 2018 report here.