Violent crimes and property offenses declined in unincorporated Pierce County during Sheriff Keith Swank’s first year in office, according to FBI data, continuing a trend of slowing crime rates after pandemic-era highs.
The county has seen disturbing acts of violence in the last 14 months, events that have rattled some of the area’s smallestcommunities and left families with deep emotional wounds.
Headlines about shocking crimes can make it difficult to see the bigger picture. After five people were killed in a stabbing attack and police shooting on the Key Peninsula last month, a commenter on an article on The News Tribune’s website said the county had experienced a “historic spike” in violent crime since Swank took office in January 2025…