SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane’s Chief Hall shared insights on the city’s crime trends, noting improvements in overall crime numbers but emphasizing the need for continued evaluation of policing programs.
Chief Hall expressed caution in attributing the decline solely to his leadership.
“I just am not one of those chiefs who are going to stand here and say it’s because of my leadership that crime is down,” he said.
He added that crime is down across the nation without specific evaluations on the programs implemented. The 2024 NIBRS report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) revealed an 8.6% decrease in crimes like robbery and assaults compared to the previous year.
Violent crimes in the state also saw a 7.6% drop, with an 18.8% decrease in murders compared to 2023.
However, Spokane’s North Central District experienced a 12% increase in crime, mainly due to rape and domestic violence.
Chief Hall highlighted the importance of addressing societal drivers and stresses contributing to crime.
“I think looking long term, we have to as a society, as a community, look at the drivers of the stresses that contribute to this,” he said.
WASPC reports that nearly half of all crimes against people in 2024 involved domestic violence, accounting for 49.5% of that category.
Chief Hall emphasized the importance of education, stating, “Oftentimes what we see these are cyclical and the offenders and the victims that we see in these were exposed to this as children or as middle schoolers or as high schoolers in their own home.”
Chief Hall and his department are continually seeking strategies to maintain lower crime rates. He says community conversations to determine desired police behavior and strategies are key.
“What’s the best strategy, what works well with the community,” he emphasized.
Chief Hall concluded by highlighting the importance of a cooperative system for public safety, including education from a young age.
