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Kent police report big year‑over‑year drops in major crimes; chief credits staffing, technology and law changes
Summary
Chief Priya told the Kent City Council on Dec. 9 that robberies, vehicle prowls, vehicle thefts, shootings and homicides all fell substantially year over year and attributed the trend to restored pursuit authority, stabilized staffing, targeted units and new technology. The chief also announced holiday DUI enforcement funded by a grant.
Chief Priya told the Kent City Council on Dec. 9 that the city has seen substantial declines across several major crime categories and described steps the department says helped drive those reductions.
"Our robberies ... are down 39%," Chief Priya said, adding vehicle prowls fell to 521 (a roughly 38% decrease), vehicle thefts dropped to 516 (about a 59% decrease from earlier levels), shootings were down 50% and homicides were down 28% compared with the prior year. She emphasized the figures are current through November and cautioned December numbers could shift.
The chief attributed the trend to several factors: a change in state law that restored some authority for vehicle pursuits (referenced in the presentation as "initiative I 2, 21 13"), stabilized staffing that allowed specialty units to operate, data‑driven patrol deployments, and technology such as Flock Safety cameras and the NIBIN ballistic tracing system. "These are real numbers," she said, describing a two‑year sustained trend that returns statistics toward pre‑pandemic levels.
Chief Priya also swore in two newly hired officers during the meeting and outlined ongoing priorities: the department will run holiday DUI enforcement and will participate in the statewide "night of 1000 stars" kickoff Dec. 19. She said the dedicated DUI officer position was funded through a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and that the department will match hours with existing staff.
Council members asked whether neighboring jurisdictions were seeing similar declines; Chief Priya said the region is seeing reductions as well and noted regional sharing of technology and practices as contributing factors. She closed by stressing the department is not "declaring victory," but reported the trend is in the right direction and that the city will continue proactive patrols and community engagement.
The report was informational; no ordinance or budget change was proposed or voted on during the presentation. The council later approved the consent calendar and moved on to other business.
