Crime Rate Down in Shoreline, Report Shows

For the fourth consecutive year, the Shoreline has seen a decrease in major crimes, largely due to significant reductions in robbery, residential burglaries, arsons and larcenies over $250, according to a police department press release.

Traffic accidents took another significant drop after remaining neutral last year. City planners, engineers and police continually look at ways to reduce the number of accidents on Shoreline streets, according to the police department.

Forcible rape and larcenies under $250 increased in the city. Most of the victims of rape knew their rapist, said criminal investigations sergeant Katie Larson.

Many of the larcenies under $250 were the result of thiefs taking items from unlocked cars, Larson said. 

Shoreline is a relatively safe city, she said, but locking your homes and cars and not leaving purses or laptops in plain view in a car are ways to protect yourself from theft.

"A lot of these crimes are crimes of opportunity," she said. 

Shoreline Police officers responded to 10,981 dispatched calls for service, a 2.5 percent decrease from 2009. The average response time to life threatening calls was 4.20 minutes, which is below the national standard of five minutes and slightly lower than the departments 2009 response times.

Meanwhile, commercial burglaries have increased  and the department says it will work with Shoreline businesses to provide education and increase awareness to help reduce the number of commercial burglaries. In addition, police continue to work closely with the prosecutor’s office on the repeat burglar initiative, which identifies the top offenders and seeks enhanced sentencing at trial. One of the city's most prolific burglars was recently on trial and convicted of many the counts against him, Larson said.

The Shoreline Police Neighborhood Police Storefronts continue to provide a wide range of services, including block watches, business watches, victim call backs, court notifications, and vacation house checks. The department has a loyal group of volunteers who donate more than 500 hours each month in service to their community and these programs.

The King County Sheriff’s Department was recently awarded accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) for its commitment to professional standards in policy and practice. CALEA is an internationally recognized law enforcement accrediting agency. As King County deputies, all Shoreline police officers are held to those same standards.

For the full report go here: Police Department 2010 Annual Service Report.