“We did an incredible job last year in reducing crime,” said Police Chief John Diaz at a press conference on 2010 crime statistics held downtown this morning (here's a .pdf of the stats). “Violent crime is down nine percent; homicides are down to 1956 levels, the total crime rate is down to 1976 levels… it’s an incredible statistic.”

But not all the news was good. Aggravated assault—specifically, domestic violence cases—rose one percent last year. “Why that is, we don’t know,” said Assistant Chief of Criminal Investigations Jim Pugel, who explained the department is working collaboratively with the King County Prosecutor’s office and the KC Sheriff’s department to investigate the trend further.

Nevertheless, there were thousands fewer cars stolen last year when compared to the 10-year average. Robberies were down 20 percent. Gang units working with regional partners confiscated 69 illegal firearms and contributed to over 90 felony charges, many of them federal cases. Of the 19 homicides committed, 15 were solved by SPD detectives. The numbers are an “amazing testament to the work these guys did,” said Diaz.

“We caught one-third more burglars in the North Precinct than the year before and that was because of partnerships with community,” added Pugel.

The good press comes on the heels of a SPD report released yesterday that shows use-of-force by Seattle police officers has dropped 37 percent between 2006 and 2009 (obviously this data excludes the last year’s worth of high-profile cases). In addition, SPD’s use-of-force cases are “less than one-fifth of the national rate,” according to a 2007 study from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Statistics are grand, said Diaz, but they’re cold comfort to last year’s crime victims. Numbers are also less-than-impressive to many Seattle residents who have the faces and names of SPD use-of-force victims seared on their brains. Public trust in SPD is shot. What is SPD doing about that?

“I can’t get away from the fact that when we have a high profile incident it hurts our relationship with the community,” said Diaz, who was both relaxed and audible (hallelujah!) at this morning’s briefing. “But the vast majority of stops—thousands of them daily—that officers participate in go well. We do a very poor job of putting that information out. We’re working on that issue.”

It's good to hear. Reducing the public’s perception of fear has been one of Diaz’s three driving tenants for Seattle policing (sandwiched between fighting crime and building community)—but it's one the department has struggled with amidst a year's worth of high profile cases.

Now, between proactive press briefings like today's and the mesmerizingly earnest Good News Reports coming from the East Precinct, it seems the department is trying to set the tone for public perception, rather than allow the whole department to be characterized by media stories surrounding a few bad officers.

But when asked if he supported Mayor Mike McGinn’s push to have more SPD officer’s live within city limits—something that would surely help assuage the public’s perception of fear—Diaz seemed conflicted. “The more you can have day-to-day contacts with officers, the better,” he said. Followed by: “I think it comes down to what’s in [each officer's] heart… Ultimately, I think I want them to put balance in their life. I want them to have balance in what they do.”

It would benefit both SPD and the public's perception if Diaz went so far as to support, say, a proposal for resident-based incentives for officers living in Seattle. But still, it’s good to see SPD finally serious about repairing its damaged reputation with the residents its sworn to protect.