Reported crime in Burien fell 20.6% in 2025, according to the Crime in Washington 2025 Annual Report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
The report lists 3,065 Group A offenses reported by Burien police in 2025, down from 3,860 in 2024. Burien’s crime rate was 57.5 offenses per 1,000 residents, based on a population of 53,320.
Among nearby South King County cities listed in the report, Burien’s rate was slightly higher than Auburn at 57.1 and Kent at 54.4, and higher than Des Moines at 49.4 and SeaTac at 48. Tukwila’s rate was 161.2.
“Our Crime Reduction Unit is a major factor in these numbers,” Burien Police Chief Tom Calabrese told The B-Town Blog. “This team is committed to pro-active police work, also known as onviews, where they are empowered to act when they see a crime committed in real time, versus waiting for a call to service. While this report is encouraging, we will continue to focus on bringing the crime rate down even more and ask for the public’s help in these efforts. If you see something, say something. Our deputies are committed to further building and strengthening community trust and we ask the people of Burien to help us in our mission to keep them safe.”
Several Major Categories Declined in Burien:
- Robbery fell 42.7%, from 82 offenses in 2024 to 47 in 2025.
- Burglary fell 48.6%, from 292 to 150.
- Motor vehicle theft fell 38%, from 552 to 342.
- Larceny theft offenses fell 12.1%, from 920 to 809.
- Drug and narcotic violations fell 29.3%, from 335 to 237
- Destruction of property fell 13.4%, from 441 to 382.
- Fraud offenses fell 27.6%, from 163 to 118.
Murder, Rape, Intimidation Crimes Increase:
- Murder rose by 200%, from 2 offenses in 2024 to 6 in 2025.
- Rape increased from 34 to 37, or 8.82%.
- Intimidation rose by 29.6%, from 115 to 149. Under Washington law, the crime of “intimidation” generally involves using a threat to influence, frighten or pressure another person in a legally-protected setting. Specific intimidation crimes include intimidating a witness, intimidating a public servant, intimidating a juror and criminal gang intimidation.
- Weapon law violations increased from 59 to 77, or 30.5%.
The report says Burien police cleared 1,094 offenses in 2025, for a clearance rate of 35.7%. Burien police reported 940 Group A arrests, including 902 adult arrests and 38 juvenile arrests. Group A offenses categories such as homicide, assault, intimidation, robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft, drug offenses and weapon law violations.
The report also lists 471 domestic violence offense totals for Burien in 2025. Simple assault accounted for 192 of those totals, while violations of no contact or protection orders accounted for 122.
A separate law enforcement staffing table in the report lists Burien Police with 45 commissioned officers and 67 total full time employees as of Oct. 31, 2025. That equals 0.84 commissioned officers per 1,000 residents and 1.26 total commissioned and civilian employees per 1,000 residents.
About this Report
The Washington Uniform Crime Reporting Program’s 46th annual report tracks criminal offenses, arrests, law enforcement officers killed or assaulted, and full-time law enforcement employees across Washington. The 2025 report includes data from 197 law enforcement agencies that reported two consecutive years of National Incident-Based Reporting System data.
“The Crime In Washington 2025 annual report was compiled from data submitted to the Washington State Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs by Washington State law enforcement agencies,” officials said.
More info on the WASPC is here.
I firmly believe that the Camping Ban is responsible for much of the downward trend in street level crime, the Ban and the numbers since are clearly reflected here.
The camping ban was disrespectfull. WE need to support and help (LOVE) eachother. We need affordable housing and we need mandatory drug and alcohol recovery and for at least a year!!!! If you get rid of the market, the drugs fade away. Also concentrate on schools as drug lords are hitting our kids in schools.
these people are not living on the side walk because there is not enough affordable housing. The vast majority of people living in the streets are mentally ill, addicted to drugs or both. At that point it is naive to think they can make any choices to dig out of the hole they are in and letting them camp out where ever they please is disrespectful to the tax paying citizens that are working hard and funding all the wasteful solutions that “progressives” keep thrusting upon us. Housing is not an unconditional right. If you need that much support you must accept the terms under which is offered.
And to directly counter Ron’s point, I’d say that the heinous and blatant crimes happening in these areas were disrespectful too. Drug dealing and drug use openly on public streets, especially in family- and business-oriented areas, along with rape, prostitution, and the destruction of the local environment.
In the end, these conditions also hurt the hardworking local businesses that were trying to serve the community. They lost customers and revenue as people became uncomfortable or unwilling to visit these areas.
At the same time, we have to protect our communities and our kids. If someone refuses every opportunity for help and continues to harm others, there should be meaningful consequences and laws that balance compassion with accountability. Perhaps a first intervention could prioritize mandatory treatment and recovery, with stronger consequences for repeated offenses.
We can have compassion without enabling addiction, and we can have accountability without giving up on people. Love means believing someone’s life can be rebuilt and giving them a genuine opportunity to rebuild it. (That’s up to that specific person, if you want to live inside a civilized society their are laws to abide by – your free to do what you’d like in your own private spaces.) – Accountability –
Don’t forget that the new City Council members along with the existing majority spoke of canceling the Camping Ban during their last campaign. It’s as if none of them witnessed the absolute mayhem that came from allowing street camping in the City, what resident or business wants to deal with that again.
I think the word is out about the no camping ban is going away. We were at Starbucks on 148th and the fire dept’s access alley way had around 3 people there setting up makeshift tents. ???
Hold onto your hats with the circus act in that’s in Burien’s City Hall!