Overall crime in Bellevue declined sharply in 2025, with police reporting a 27% reduction citywide compared to the previous year, according to the Bellevue Police Department’s annual crime report.
Data released in the year-end summary shows total reported crimes dropped from 7,828 incidents in 2024 to 5,698 in 2025. Property-related offenses—including robbery, theft, burglary, and vandalism—saw an even steeper decrease of 33%, falling from 6,546 cases in 2024 to 4,412 last year.
Property crimes remained the most frequently reported category in Bellevue. Shoplifting, general theft, and theft from motor vehicles accounted for the largest share of incidents in 2025, based on figures compiled by the department’s Crime Analysis Unit.
Police officials attributed the decline in part to targeted enforcement strategies informed by crime data analysis. The department implemented focused patrols and prevention efforts under what Police Chief Wendell Shirley describes as a Prevention, Intervention, and Enforcement approach. One example cited in the report is the “Stop the Lift” campaign during the 2025 holiday season. The initiative, conducted in partnership with local retailers, resulted in 157 shoplifting arrests.
In addition to crime reduction efforts, officers increased traffic enforcement in response to concerns about speeding, street racing, and modified exhaust noise. The department issued 5,473 traffic citations in 2025, a 63% increase from 3,530 tickets in 2024. Of those citations, approximately 44% were for speeding violations and about 6% involved vehicles with modified exhaust systems.
Building on that enforcement activity, Bellevue police announced the formation of the Eastside Safe Streets Task Force in 2026. The coordinated effort includes the police departments in Issaquah, Kirkland, and Redmond and is designed to concentrate patrol resources in areas prone to reckless driving and street racing activity.
In a statement included in the report, Chief Shirley said Bellevue remains a safe place to live, work, and visit, citing collaboration between law enforcement, residents, and local businesses. He added that the department plans to continue addressing community concerns, including traffic safety, in the coming year.
