As the clock struck midnight to usher in 2026, the City of Lakewood had more than just the new year to celebrate.
The Lakewood Police Department marked a historic milestone in 2025, achieving a full year without a single homicide for the first time in the city’s history.
The remarkable achievement comes after the last recorded homicide on December 22, 2024, reflecting a significant shift in the Pierce County city’s crime trends.
“Any time a city can post a zero for homicides throughout the year, I think that’s something that city and its community should celebrate,” said Lakewood Police Chief Patrick Smith.
The department attributes this success to a series of strategic adjustments aimed at enhancing public safety.
These include the integration of new technology, revised officer work hours, the addition of full-time business district patrols, and the deployment of more drones for patrol squads.
“We added new technology, as in the Flock Safety system, to make sure that we are getting the alerts for stolen vehicles as they enter our city,” the chief said. “Stolen vehicles touch on pretty much every area of crime. Anyone who’s going out to commit a crime, the first thing they need is a mode of transportation.”
Furthermore, the department has implemented daily crime statistics and weekly crime activity reports to keep the community informed, alongside empowering officers to promptly follow up on crimes.
“I work in the city, and a lot of times I work by myself, having to walk to and from my car by myself, so it feels good that we’re being protected,” said Kylee Hayes, who has had occasional interactions with officers. “They are very quick to respond, very attentive, always checking up on us after the fact.”
The Lakewood Police Department emphasises that the most crucial factor in this achievement is the strong partnership with the community. In a message to residents, the department expressed gratitude for the community’s support and trust, which have been instrumental in maintaining the area’s safety.
“Thank you for supporting the Lakewood Police Department. Thank you for trusting us to help keep our city safe,” the department stated.
Crime statistics for 2025 reveal a downward trend across various categories. Aggravated assaults decreased by 20.1 per cent, whilst property crimes saw a significant reduction, with burglaries down by 42.8 per cent and motor vehicle thefts plummeting by 53.8 per cent. Overall, the total number of crimes dropped by 26.5 per cent compared to the previous year.
As Lakewood looks forward to 2026, the police department has stated that it is committed to further strengthening its core partnerships with the community to continue providing top-quality service.
“Using those systems that are available to us has really helped us to address crime, and having good officers to respond to those crimes,” Smith said. “Overall, for the city, this is a win.”
The homicide-free year represents a dramatic turnaround for a city that has struggled with violent crime. Lakewood, with a population around 63,000, sits between Tacoma and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, geography that has historically brought challenges including gang activity and property crime driven by the nearby military base.
The December 22, 2024 homicide marking the start of the homicide-free streak means Lakewood went 374 days without a murder, from that date through the end of 2025. For a city Lakewood’s size, this achievement is notable though not unprecedented amongst Washington cities.
Chief Smith’s connection between stolen vehicles and broader crime patterns reflects law enforcement understanding that car theft enables other offences. Criminals use stolen cars for drive-by shootings, drug trafficking, armed robberies, and getaway vehicles precisely because stolen cars can’t be traced back to them.
The Flock Safety system Smith mentioned uses automated licence plate readers positioned at city entry points that alert police when vehicles reported stolen enter Lakewood. These systems have proven controversial in some communities over privacy concerns but effective at identifying stolen cars.
The revised officer work hours likely align patrol schedules with crime patterns, concentrating officers during peak crime times rather than distributing them evenly across all shifts. Data-driven scheduling puts more officers on the street when crimes most frequently occur.
The full-time business district patrols address commercial areas that attract both customers and criminals. Visible police presence in business districts deters theft, vandalism, and assaults whilst making employees and shoppers feel safer.
The drone deployment for patrol squads provides aerial surveillance capabilities that help locate fleeing suspects, search for missing persons, and monitor large gatherings without requiring expensive helicopter operations.
The daily crime statistics and weekly reports demonstrate transparency that builds community trust. When residents can see crime data regularly, they understand what’s happening in their neighbourhoods and can take appropriate precautions.
Empowering officers to promptly follow up on crimes means investigators contact victims quickly, gather evidence whilst fresh, and show communities that reports are taken seriously. Quick follow-up increases case clearance rates and victim satisfaction.
Kylee Hayes’s comment about feeling protected walking to her car alone captures the personal safety improvements residents experience. Women particularly benefit from reduced crime, as they’re more likely to alter behaviour based on safety concerns.
The 20.1 per cent decrease in aggravated assaults means fewer people were seriously injured in violent attacks. Aggravated assault includes attacks with weapons, attacks causing serious injury, and assaults with intent to commit other felonies.
The 42.8 per cent drop in burglaries represents substantial reduction in people’s homes or businesses being broken into. Burglary creates lasting trauma for victims who no longer feel safe in spaces that should be secure.
The 53.8 per cent plummet in motor vehicle thefts, more than halving car thefts, likely results partly from the Flock Safety system catching thieves as they drive stolen cars into the city.
The overall 26.5 per cent crime reduction means roughly one in four crimes that would have occurred in 2024 didn’t happen in 2025, a massive public safety improvement.
