crime
When foster care kids are sex trafficked, some states fail to figure it out
For help, call 1-888-373-7888 or text *233733 for the 24/7 National Human Trafficking Hotline, a national, toll-free hotline. When she was a 10-year-old foster child, T Ortiz often rode a public bus around the San Francisco Bay area, alone. She’d frequent a bus stop by a barber shop. Little by little, the barber, who was […]
Snohomish County’s new sheriff seeks a reset for her department
From an early age, Susanna Johnson wanted to be a cop. At 22, she got her dream job with the sheriff’s department in Washington’s third most populous county. In a few weeks, Johnson will become the new Snohomish County sheriff, capping three decades of wearing a badge, nearly all of it for the law enforcement […]
Politicians love to cite crime data. It’s often wrong.
When Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his presidential campaign in May, he proudly told the nation that Florida’s crime rate in 2021 had reached a 50-year low. But really, DeSantis couldn’t say for sure. That’s because fewer than 1 in 10 law enforcement agencies in his state had reported their crime statistics to the […]
Cities are embracing teen curfews, though they might not curb crime
In response to growing public concern over crime, cities and counties throughout the United States are returning to a familiar tool: curfews for young people. Proponents argue curfews curb crime and protect youth by keeping them off the streets. But research suggests curfews are ineffective, and some juvenile justice advocates and experts warn of unintended […]
Oregon Gov. Kotek begins closed-door meetings meant to come up with a plan to save Portland
PORTLAND – In a closed-door meeting with more than 40 business leaders, community advocates and local, state and federal elected officials on Tuesday, Gov. Tina Kotek laid out a challenge: Within the next three months, the group will come up with a plan to save downtown Portland. Portland’s problems, particularly since the COVID pandemic began, […]
Members of Congress press Inslee on plan to shift dollars away from drug task forces
A bipartisan group of Washington’s congressional delegation has told Gov. Jay Inslee that the state’s plan to divert a sliver of federal funding away from regional crime-fighting and anti-drug task forces “could prove disastrous for Washington.” Democratic Rep. Rick Larsen of Everett sent a letter to the governor earlier this month seeking answers on how […]
Murders hit record, auto thefts soared in 2022, new figures show
A record number of murders. Thousands more cars stolen. Domestic violence a factor in nearly half of the crimes against people. And fewer police officers on the beat – the fewest per capita in the nation. These are among the findings in the annual Crime in Washington report which paints a distressing picture of a […]