Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 2024, occurrences of crimes dipped significantly in 10 of the 11 categories recorded by the Auburn Police Department.
For example, the number of robberies, 87, may seem high at first glance, but it represents 41% fewer than in 2023.
The number of forcible rapes this year is down by 21 percent, and the 300 burglaries is 45 percent lower than in 2023.
Indeed, only one category was up — homicides, where a total of 8 represented a 60% hike over the previous year.
Assistant Chief Sam Betz presented these and other stats in the 2024 Public Safety Update to the Auburn City Council during the first of its twice-monthly study sessions, on Monday, Oct. 14, at Auburn City Hall.
The report cited a number of other stats.
Over the same time period listed above, the APD has logged 44,066 calls for service from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31. That’s an average of 181 calls per day that are dispatched. While this list does not include calls reported online, Betz noted there were 1,261 online reports between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1, 2024.
By comparison, in 2024, Valley police departments reported the following tally of calls between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31: Kent at 62,399; Federal Way at 50,245; Renton at 48,327; Auburn at 44,066; Tukwila at 21,796; and Des Moines at 12,630. In 2023, according to the report, the APD reported 68,026 calls.
Addressing juvenile crime, Betz called it “a regional issue,” as juveniles involved in criminal activity in Auburn are also involved in criminal activity in surrounding cities.
Betz said Auburn Police are working with surrounding agencies to share information and resources to address high priority subjects and collaborating with partners to obtain regional grant funding to allocate a dedicated prosecutor to help address high priority subjects.
This effort is in the early stages of the grant process, he said.
And while police have recovered vehicles in several reported shootings involving juveniles, and identified juvenile suspects associated with several stolen vehicles, Betz noted that state law does not allow police to interview juvenile suspects without consulting an attorney.
Betz said police may interview juvenile witnesses, but “not if there is any potential they engaged in criminal activity,” and then cited a recent homicide investigation in which Auburn Police discovered that the targets of a drive-by shooting were driving stolen vehicles.
A few hours after that killing, Betz said, police found two of the cars in Tacoma, and arrested two juvenile boys, who were subsequently charged with unauthorized possession of stolen vehicles and taking a motor vehicle. They were placed in custody at Remann Hall in Pierce County.
“The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was uncertain about the legality of speaking with the juveniles under the law, as they would essentially be admitting to having stolen vehicles and were already in custody with legal representation,” Betz said of this example.
Considering the circumstances of the investigation and the potential information that the detained juveniles might have, the KCPAO tried to contact their attorneys, Betz said, but to date, the effort to reach an agreement with the juveniles has been unsuccessful and it appears they will be unlikely to speak with law enforcement under the law.
