MYNORTHWEST NEWS 1:14 PM | Updated: Aug 16 A Kent Police Department vehicle is seen on a city street BY FRANK SUMRALL Kent’s Police Chief Rafael Padilla told KIRO 7 problems with gang violence and the fentanyl crisis is causing the murder rate to spike “I can speak absolutely with all confidence that a major driver for violent crime in our city is drugs,” Padilla said Homicides in 2022: Tacoma homicide adds to deadliest year on record Kent Police are currently investigating a shooting that happened at an apartment complex at approximately 2 a.m The victim was shot in the head and is reported to be in critical condition There were three previous shootings this year at the apartment complex near the school “In my 31 years now, this is as bad as I’ve ever seen it,” Padilla told KIRO 7 “We want people to know we’re extremely concerned There are a lot of informal battles – literal gun battles to control the fentanyl trade.” Kent ranks 29% higher than the national average in murder rate, 58% higher in cases involving rape, and 128% higher in instances of robbery, according to Neighborhood Scout and Tudor Square are the “safest” neighborhoods in Kent Property crime is just as rampant within the city Kent has a rate of 49.12 reported instances of property crime 57% more than Washington state’s average and 159% more than the national average There is a 1-in-20 chance a resident of Kent will be a victim of a property crime compared to a 1-in-32 chance throughout the entire state Still, according to Population U Kent only qualified as the 16th-most dangerous city in Washington in terms of crime rate per 1,000 residents “To determine the most dangerous cities in Washington in 2023 we have reviewed the number of violent crimes reported in 2022 with data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Program,” Population U wrote “Seattle being the most populous city in Washington Other high crime rate cities include Tukwila More from Kent: Kent police shoot, kill man drinking gasoline armed with circular saw Kent has one of the fewest officers per capita for Puget Sound cities “We simply don’t have the resources to do the preventative patrols we’re just keeping up with 911 calls.”