Seattle blood banks overwhelmed due to shootings.

Washington Blood Bank Begs for Donors as Violent Crime Surges

Violent crime has reached such alarming levels in Washington that a blood bank is now pleading for donors. According to Dr. Kirsten Alcorn, Co-Chief Medical Officer at Bloodworks Northwest, the increase in gunshot wounds is particularly concerning. “An increase in gunshot wounds, which is really sad to say, but we are definitely seeing it,” she told KOMO News.

One gunshot victim required a staggering 50 units of blood to stay alive in just the last few weeks. King County Sheriff’s Office Detective Dave Easterly, who was shot in the line of duty in March, said, “Most of the blood that flows through me right now doesn’t even belong to me. It belongs to the people who were generous enough, brave enough to give me that blood.”

The blood bank needs at least 1,000 donors a day to keep enough blood products stocked for any emergency that might occur. “We’ve had several patients recently who have taken upwards of dozens of units of blood components to get through their immediate trauma resuscitation,” Alcorn added.

Record-Breaking Crime Rates

According to the Seattle Police Department, the city’s violent crime rate reached a 15-year high in 2022, surpassing the record set in 2021. Violent crime increased by 4 percent in 2022 compared to 2021, which was the previous all-time high in reported crimes. Totals in 2022 surpassed the 2021 record with 49,577 violent and property crimes, and the department reported that aggravated assault and motor vehicle thefts were “significantly” high in 2022 compared to the five-year weighted average. 52 homicides were investigated in 2022, an increase from 41 homicides in 2021, the second-highest total of homicides after 53 in 2020.

Unfortunately, 2023 is already shaping up to be another record-breaking year for homicides. The Seattle Police Department was recently ordered by their chief to no longer engage in any pursuits, and over 600 officers have left the department since the city council defunded the police in response to the riots in 2020. Some officers were terminated, while others transferred or retired in response to the city’s COVID vaccine mandate.

Assaults on Firefighters

Assaults on firefighters have become so