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7.1.5 Total Violent Crimes & Violent Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
Why is this important?
The consequences to the victim of violent crime far exceed those of property crime. Bodily harm, severe psychological trauma, and death are the usual outcomes of events in this category. An increased fear or mistrust of one's fellow citizens is also an unfortunate result of violent crime.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains a national database called the Unified Crime Report (UCR). It breaks down the more serious crimes into Part 1 Offenses, also referred to as Index Crimes. Four of the Index Crimes are classified as "violent crimes" and four are classified as "property crimes". Law enforcement agencies at all levels voluntarily report the number of reported crimes in their jurisdictions to the FBI.
Violent crimes, listed in descending order of their hierarchy, are: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. According to the FBI, when there is multi-offense criminal incident, only the most serious crime is counted except when arson is also involved. Arson, a property crime, is counted regardless of any additional offenses. This is known as the Hierarchy Rule.
This indicator measures the total number of violent crimes and the violent crime rate per 1,000 residents in Skagit County. Washington State and the U.S. rates serve as benchmarks. Additional information, including the number and the specific type of violent crimes known to law enforcement in the reporting jurisdictions of Skagit County, can be found in the “Download Data” section.
Where are we?
During 2023 in Skagit County, there were 215 violent crimes, increasing from 147, since 1995. Of these, the number of violent crimes that were classified as:
- Aggravated Assault was 153, increasing from 73, since 1995.
- Rape was 26, decreasing from 40, since 1995.
- Robbery was 31, decreasing from 32, since 1995.
- Murder & Non-Negligent Manslaughter was 5, increasing from 3, since 1995.
During 2023, the violent crime rate per 1,000 residents of:
- Skagit County was 1.63, increasing from 1.58 in 1995.
- Washington State was 3.56, decreasing from 4.84 in 1995.
- The U.S. was 2.43 (in 2022), decreasing from 6.85 in 1995.
Data Sources
Washington Association of Sheriff’s & Police Chiefs (WASPC): CJIS Statistics and Reports
- Under "Crime in Washington", select the "Crime in Washington (CIW)" link.
- The latest WASPC - Crime in Washington Annual Report will automatically download in a PDF format.
WASPC presents crime statistics for each law enforcement agency in Washington State. The report is organized by law enforcement agencies within each county. To find this information:
- In the "Individual Agency National Incident-Based Reporting System" section, look for the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Note: The FBI UCR receives their data from reporting law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. The statistics reported represent crimes that have come to the attention of law enforcement. This includes all crimes known to law enforcement whether they were citizen reported crimes or crimes discovered independently by law enforcement.
