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In Washington’s largest cities, violent crime rose during the first half of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011, according to statistics released today by the FBI.

Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) showed increases in the first six months of 2012 in Bellevue, Everett, Spokane, Tacoma and Seattle. The largest increase was in Seattle, which saw 1,834 reported incidents in 2012 compared with 1,660 in the first six months of 2011.

Most notable in Seattle was the increase in the number of homicides – 22 in the first half of 2012 compared to four in the first half of 2011, according to the FBI. The city’s single deadliest day was May 30, when Ian Stawicki walked into the Café Racer coffee shop in the University District and killed four people. He then killed a woman in a dowtown Seattle parking lot before stealing her car.

Stawicki later killed himself in West Seattle.

The city would have 26 total homicides in 2012.

Property crimes (burglary, theft, car theft and arson) also increased in Seattle, going from 15,216 in the first half of 2011 to 15,419 during the same period in 2012.

In Bellevue, violent crime showed a slight increase, going from 73 incidents in the first half of 2011 to 75 during the same period last year. Property crime in Bellevue decreased, from 1,701 in the first half of 2011 to 1,617 in the same period last year.

In Everett, violent crime showed a small increase, from 242 incidents in the first half of 2011 to 245 in the first six months of 2012. Property crimes, however, dropped in the first half of last year.

Nationally, the number of violent crimes and property crimes reported to police rose in the first half of last year compared with the same period in 2011, with violent crime rising 1.9 percent and property crime up 1.5 percent.

The number of murders was down 1.7 percent and the number of rapes decreased 1.4 percent. However, robbery offenses increased 2 percent and aggravated assault was up by 2.3 percent.

To view the crime statistics for Washington’s largest cities, click here.