KCSO report: robberies dropping, more juveniles carrying guns

Published 1:30 am Monday, August 10, 2026

Robberies, burglaries and stolen car reports all went down in 2025, according to the statistics released by the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office. Meanwhile, deputies saw a troubling increase in young offenders carrying guns.

On balance, crime stats last year were ‘stable,’ per Jeffrey Menge, division chief at the sheriff’s office, which primarily patrols unincorporated areas in the county. However, he cautioned that some KCSO statistics – just released in the annual Crime in Washington Report – may give residents an overly optimistic view of public safety.

“In 2025, we did generally have stable crime numbers, but I think some numbers may give people a false sense of security. This is because some (of the low figures) were the result of our inability to respond based on staffing levels,” Menge explained.

The sheriff’s office is dealing with $3.3 million in budget cuts as the county grapples with a financial shortfall, Menge reported. A reduced budget prevents KCSO from putting enough deputies on the street, he added.

If more deputies were on patrol, a greater number of arrests would take place, he said, citing DUI stops as an example. Such stops were down 13% in 2025. With fewer deputies, those on duty must prioritize 911 calls rather than being able to focus on seeking drunk drivers, he noted.

Crime stats

Burglaries fell 22% last year, dropping from 447 in 2024 to 349 last year. This downward trend has been occurring for the last 10 years. In 2016, there were 972 such incidents.

Improved home security systems contributed to fewer burglaries, he said.

“The number of Ring cameras or security systems with cameras has increased dramatically. Now, people can monitor their homes on their phones. They have led to several arrests. They catch the license plate of a vehicle or a person…who we can blast on social media and very quickly 30 people will say, ‘Hey, I know that guy’,” he said.

More people working remotely from home since the pandemic has also reduced house break-ins, which typically happen in the daytime, Menge added.

“It only takes three or four people to work from home in a neighborhood. They are going to see strange activity and report it,” he said.

The number of stolen cars dropped 26% last year. In 2025, there were 218 car thefts compared to 295 the previous year.

There are several reasons for the improved numbers, Menge said.

Putting prolific car thieves behind bars was a significant contributor to bringing the numbers down. Police agencies across the county have worked together during the past two years to identify repeat car thieves and arrest them, he said. Busting one such culprit led to 30 fewer car thefts the following month, he noted.

In addition, bad guys now know cops can chase stolen vehicles after the state legislature loosened restrictions on when police can conduct chases. This has made would-be car thieves think twice about driving a hot car, the division chief said.

Improved technology from car manufacturers also helped, he said. “It’s harder to steal a car these days with electronic keys. You really have to have the key to the car in order to steal it,” he said.

The number of robberies in 2025 was 29, representing a 34% decrease from the year before. “A robbery is anytime you take possession or steal using some level of force, whether that be with a weapon, implication of a weapon or actual physical force,” he explained.

Armed juveniles

Although many of last year’s crime figures were encouraging, deputies remained concerned about a rise in the number of young offenders carrying weapons.

“We are seeing a general trend in the last five years where people carrying guns are younger and they are more willing to use them or display them,” Menge said.

“When I was on the road 10 or 12 years ago, I don’t think I ever came across a juvenile with a handgun. Now, we have seen a rise in this happening. They are getting younger and I don’t know why that’s occurring,” he said.

As an example of the trend, Menge pointed to a harrowing incident that happened in March 2025 in the Kitsap Mall parking lot.

“Two juveniles were armed and had a disagreement with a father and son who drove by. One or both juveniles fired shots at the vehicle,” he said. Fortunately, no bullets hit the father or son, but some parked cars were struck. Deputies later recovered approximately nine shell cases and apprehended the juveniles, he added.

“Had that incident occurred at an event like Whaling Days, it would have been the same result as the Bite of Seattle,” Menge said.