San Antonio Crime Rate Dropping Sharply in 2018

Even though it may be hard to realize if you listen to the local news, crime is down sharply in San Antonio in the first three months of 2018, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.

This is according to the Unified Crime Report from the FBI, using data supplied by the San Antonio Police Department.

Chief William McManus says violent crimes, from rape to robbery, aggravated assault, and even homicide are down, and the types of crimes which are more likely to affect you are down even more.

"Property crimes, we are down 24 to 25 percent," he said. "That is huge."

The crimes that concern people the most are down the most. Home burglaries are down an amazing 32% in the first three months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.  Motor vehicle theft is down 18%.

McManus credits the SAPD's new Violent Crimes Task Force, which has been sweeping the bad guys off the streets in record numbers.

"There is a 122% increase in arrests, and numbers of arrests over all categories have increased sharply over last year."

He says the number of gang members arrested is up 52%, the number of firearms seized is up 113%, and the amount of drugs seized is up 38%.

McManus says this is being seen in fewer of the random, sometimes social media driven gang shootings which helped push up the violent crime rate not just in San Antonio, but in big cities across the country, like Chicago, over the past two years.

"What we are not seeing is this constant back and forth, gang retaliation type murders."

McManus says the types of murders which are occurring now are due largely to violent disputes between individuals, in cases ranging from domestic violence to bar arguments which end in shootings. 

 McManus says several murders this year have been the result of one person attempting to collect a debt from another.

McManus says the nature of murder is such that no type of policing could stop many of the homicides that are committed.


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