Is crime in Seattle on the rise? Neighborhood blogs and local TV news shows include alarming reports that might make you think it is. But Gene Balk—the Seattle Times' FYI Guy—took a close look at the issue. He analyzed crime data across Seattle neighborhoods and found some good news. Overall, Seattle's crime rate has dipped over the past decade. Balk analyzed data from the Seattle Police Department for the years 2008 to 2010 and compared that to the years 2015 through 2017.