San Antonio city officials reported today that violent crime in the city was down 6% in 2017, and the murder rate fell by 16%, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Chief William McManus was flanked by Mayor Nirenberg and District Attorney Nico LaHood at a morning news conference to announce the results.
McManus said his Violent Crime Task Force, which was created after the bloody year of 2016, made major inroads into crime, especially on the city's east side.
"There were a number of people that were targeted because they were responsible for a lot of the violence that was happening on the east side," McManus said. "We gutted them."
He says many of the individuals who were arrested remain in jail facing serious charges.
McManus praised the work of the Violent Crime task force, saying officers in 2017 arrested more than 500 violent gang members, and seized more than 800 guns
."These aren't your little Saturday night firearms," he said. "We're talking about high tech weapons."
He says officers also seized piles of drugs and more than $1 million in cash from people accused of serious crimes.He says the results are obvious.
"58% decrease in gang related muders. 46% decrease in narcotics related murders."
McManus says the special unit will be continued into 2018 to reduce the city's violent crime rate even more.