FBI Data: Washington’s police shortage is the worst in America
Aug 16, 2025, 5:01 AM
Washington remains at the bottom of the nation—51st in the U.S.—for police officers per capita, despite a slight uptick in staffing last year, according to newly released FBI data in WASPC’s (Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs) Crime in Washington report.
Statewide, agencies added 292 commissioned officers in 2024, lifting the rate from 1.34 to 1.36 officers per 1,000 residents. But that small improvement hasn’t shifted Washington from its longstanding position as the least-staffed state, an embarrassing ranking it has held for at least 15 years thanks to poor Democratic leadership.
WASPC’s Executive Director, Steve Strachan, stressed the toll of chronically thin staffing.
“Tired officers, running from call to call by themselves, are the worst possible outcome—for wellness, for victims, and for de‑escalation,” he told Axios.
WASPC estimates that bringing Washington’s staffing to the national average, or roughly 2.3 officers per 1,000 residents, would require about $1 billion annually. To reach the highest staffing levels in the nation, the state would need to add nearly 30,589 officers and spend close to $5 billion per year.
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