Austin Police Department Annual Crime and Traffic Report: 28 Prepared by the Austin Police Department Chief of Police, Art Acevedo Research and Planning Unit April 2, 29
Background Each calendar year, Austin Police Department reports crime statistics to the FBI through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. After federal review, these become our official statistics and are useful in tracking year-to-year performance and trends, as well as comparing our crime statistics to other US cities of comparable size. Overview This document contains UCR crime data for the calendar year 28 (January 1, 28 through December 31, 28). For comparison, we have included data from other large US cities for 27 (the most recent data available), among them, Boston, Columbus, Memphis, Portland, and San Jose (see Page 6 for a complete list). We have also included selected traffic statistics on fatal collisions and the most recent comparable data for other jurisdictions. The report is organized by crime category (violent or property), and by type of crime within each category (e.g., murder and robbery within violent crime). Notable Findings This year s crime statistics includes the following noteworthy findings: Austin s rate of 532 violent crimes per 1, residents was lower than the rate of 996 for other US cities of comparable size (Page 4). Austin s property crime rate of 6,58 per 1, residents was higher than the rate of 5,416 for other US cities of comparable size (Page 11). The number of murders decreased from 3 in 27 to 23 in 28, and our rate per 1, residents was lower than other large US cities (Page 5). Austin s number of robberies dropped from 1,457 in 27 to 1,333 in 28, and our rate per 1, residents was lower than other large US cities (Page 8). The number of burglaries increased from 8,31 in 27 to 8,586 in 28, and our rate per 1, residents was similar to other cities of comparable size (Page 11). The number of auto thefts dropped from 2,961 in 27 to 2,633 in 28, and our rate per 1, residents was lower than other large US cities (Page 13). Austin s number of traffic fatalities declined slightly from 6 in 27 to 59 in 28, and our fatality rate per 1 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) was lower than those of both Texas and the US (Page 16). Annual Crime Report: 28 ii
The rate of traffic fatalities involving impaired drivers or pedestrians is.62 per 1 million VMT, which is higher than both Texas and the US (Page 18). Annual Crime Report: 28 iii
Table of Contents Overall Crime Statistics... 1 Incidents and Rates... 1 Over Time... 2 Compared to Other Cities... 3 Violent Crime... 4 Compared to Other Cities... 4 Murder... 5 Rape... 6 Robbery... 8 Aggravated Assault... 9 Property Crime... 1 Compared to Other Cities... 11 Burglary... 11 Theft... 12 Auto Theft... 13 Solving Crime... 15 Traffic Fatalities... 16 Annual Crime Report: 28 iv
Overall Crime Statistics The FBI identifies seven Part I Index Crimes, based on their seriousness and frequency of occurrence. Each crime is defined, including how incidents are counted, and grouped into two categories: Violent crimes Murder (number of victims) Rape (number of victims) Robbery (number of offenses) Aggravated Assault (number of victims) Property crimes Burglary (number of premises entered) Theft (number of offenses) Auto Theft (number of vehicles) These categories and crime definitions are used for reporting city-level crime statistics to the FBI under its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. Incidents and Rates Throughout this report, crime is reported in terms of actual numbers (e.g., incidents, victims) as well as rate per 1, residents. Rates allow for comparisons to previous years and with other cities. Part I Index Crimes Offenses Rate per 1, 27 28 % chg 27 28 % chg Murder 3 23-23.3% 4.2 3.1-25.7% Rape 328 273-16.8% 45.8 36.9-19.3% Robbery 1,457 1,333-8.5% 23.3 18.2-11.3% Aggravated Assault 2,56 2,36 12.2% 286.8 311.8 8.7% Total Violent Crime 3,871 3,935 1.7% 54. 532.1-1.5% Burglary 8,31 8,586 6.9% 1,12.4 1,161. 3.6% Theft 34,461 33,581-2.6% 4,87.5 4,54.8-5.5% Auto Theft 2,961 2,633-11.1% 413.1 356. -13.8% Total Property Crime 45,453 44,8-1.4% 6,34.9 6,57.8-4.5% Total Index Crime 49,324 48,735-1.2% 6,881 6,59-4.2% Annual Crime Report: 28 1
Part I Index Crimes by Type: 28 35, 3, 25, 2, 15, 1, 5, 23 273 1,333 2,36 2,633 Murder Rape Robbery Aggravated Assault 8,586 33,581 all other theft 18,572 burglary of vehicle 15,9 Auto Theft Burglary Theft Over Time In 28, the number of all Part I Index crimes for Austin was 48,735. This represents a 1% decrease in incidents as compared with 27 (49,324). The rate of crime per 1, residents was 6,59 in 28 a 4% decrease from the rate of 6,881 in 27. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the rate ranged from 6,267 to 7,849. 12, 9, 6, 3, Total Crime Rate per 1, Annual Crime Report: 28 2 6,881 6,59 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Compared to Other Cities This chart shows how Austin compares to other large US cities (those with population between 5, and 999,999; Austin s population was 739,543 in 28). For regional comparison, Texas cities are also identified. Austin s rate of 6,59 offenses per 1, was only slightly higher (3%) than the rate of 6,412 for all large US cities. Total Crime Rate per 1,: City Comparison* 1, 8, 6, 4, 3,619 6,136 6,412 6,59 6,946 6,817 7,845 2, El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- * Note: the FBI (data source) will not release final 28 statistics until September 29, so throughout this report, 27 statistics are used for other cities and 28 statistics are used for Austin. The following cities are included in the US cities category above, and elsewhere throughout this report: Austin Albuquerque Baltimore Boston Charlotte-Mecklenburg Columbus Denver Detroit El Paso Fort Worth Honolulu Indianapolis Jacksonville Louisville Metro Memphis Milwaukee Nashville Oklahoma City Portland San Francisco San Jose Seattle Washington Annual Crime Report: 28 3
Violent Crime In 28, the number of violent crimes for Austin was 3,935. This represents a 2% increase in incidents as compared with 27 (3,871). The rate of violent crime per 1, residents was 532 in 28, which represents a 2% decrease from the rate of 54 in 27. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the rate ranged from 462 to 644. Violent Crime Rate per 1, 8 6 4 2 1989 Compared to Other Cities 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 54 532 25 26 27 28 Austin s rate of 532 violent crimes per 1, was 47% lower than the rate of 996 for all large US cities. Violent Crime Rate per 1,: City Comparison 1,5 1, 5 418 667 996 532 556 1,132 1,69 El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- Annual Crime Report: 28 4
Murder During 28 there were 23 murder victims in Austin, down from 3 in 27. The murder rate was three per 1, residents, down from four in 27. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the number of murder victims ranged from 2 to 4. Murder Rate per 1, 12 9 6 3 4.2 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Austin s murder rate was 78% lower than that of other US cities our size. 6 Murder Rate per 1,: City Comparison 3.1 4 2 3 9 14 El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio 3 9 16 16 Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- Annual Crime Report: 28 5
In 28, guns were the most frequent weapons used in murders (78% of incidents), followed by knives or other sharp objects (17%). In 27, guns were used in 43% of incidents and knives or other sharp objects were used in 37% of incidents. In incidents where the relationship between the victim and suspect was established, the victim knew the offender in 61% of the murders, as compared with 6% in 27. Weapon Relationship Knife/ sharp object 17% Bodily force 4% Stranger 26% Family/ signif. other 22% Gun 78% Unknown 13% Acquaintance 39% Rape There were 273 reported victims of rape in Austin during 28, down from 328 in 27. The rate was 37 per 1, residents, which was down from the previous year's rate of 46. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the rate ranged from 33 to 69. Rape Rate per 1, 8 6 46 4 2 37 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Annual Crime Report: 28 6
Austin s rate of reported rapes was 13% lower than other US cities of the same size. Rape Rate per 1,: City Comparison 8 6 4 42 5 43 37 48 32 41 2 El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- In 7% of the cases, the victim knew the suspect as an acquaintance, family member, partner, ex-partner, or brief encounter. Relationship Stranger 1% Family member 3% Partner or expartner 17% Acquaintance 46% Unknown 2% Brief encounter 4% Annual Crime Report: 28 7
Robbery There were 1,333 robberies reported in 28, down from 1,457 in 27. The rate was 18 robberies per 1, residents, which represents a decrease from the previous year s rate of 23. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the rate of annual robberies ranged from 164 to 234. Robbery Rate per 1, 4 3 2 23 1 18 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Austin s rate of reported robberies was 53% lower than other US cities of the same size. Robbery Rate per 1,: City Comparison 8 6 529 583 4 2 77 242 386 18 186 El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- Annual Crime Report: 28 8
Eighty-four percent of robberies were committed against individuals, as compared with 16% that occurred at businesses. These proportions were the same in 27. Victim Type Business 16% Individual 84% Aggravated Assault There were 2,36 reported victims of aggravated assault in 28, up from 2,56 in 27. The rate was 312 victims per 1, residents, which represents an increase over the rate of 287 in 27. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the rate of aggravated assault victims ranged from 242 to 351. Aggravated Assault Rate per 1, 5 4 3 2 287 312 1 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Annual Crime Report: 28 9
Austin s rate of aggravated assault victims was 44% lower than other US cities of the same size. Aggravated Assault Rate per 1,: City Comparison 8 6 4 297 367 554 312 313 555 429 2 El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- Property Crime In 28, the number of property crimes for Austin was 44,8. This represents a decrease in incidents as compared with 27 (45,453). The rate of property crime per 1, residents was 6,58 in 28, which represents a decrease from the rate of 6,341 in 27. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the rate ranged from 5,8 to 7,25. 12, 9, 6, 3, Property Crime Rate per 1, Annual Crime Report: 28 1 6,341 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 6,58
Compared to Other Cities Austin s rate of 6,58 property crimes per 1, in 28 was 12% higher than the rate of 5,416 per 1, for other US cities. Property Crime Rate per 1,: City Comparison 8, 6, 5,469 5,416 6,58 6,39 5,684 6,776 4, 3,21 2, El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- Burglary There were 8,586 reported burglaries in 28, up from 8,31 in 27. The rate was 1,161 burglaries per 1, residents, which represents an increase over the rate of 1,12 in 27. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the burglary rate ranged from 997 to 1,371. 3, 2,5 2, 1,5 1, 5 Burglary Rate per 1, Annual Crime Report: 28 11 1,12 1,161 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Austin s burglary rate in 28 was 2% lower than other US cities of the same size. Burglary Rate per 1,: City Comparison 2,4 1,8 1,2 1,343 1,188 1,161 1,272 1,339 1,814 6 349 El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- Theft There were 33,581 reported thefts in 28, down from 34,461 in 27. The rate was 4,541 thefts per 1, residents, which represents a decrease versus the rate of 4,88 in 27. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the theft rate ranged from 4,332 to 5,18. 8, 6, 4, 2, Theft Rate per 1, Annual Crime Report: 28 12 4,88 4,541 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Austin s rate of thefts in 28 was 34% higher than other US cities of the same size. Theft Rate per 1,: City Comparison 6, 4, 3,726 3,377 4,541 4,67 3,449 3,849 2,361 2, El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- Auto Theft There were 2,633 reported auto thefts (including attempted thefts) in 28, down from 2,961 in 27. The rate was 356 auto thefts per 1, residents, which represents a decrease from the rate of 413 in 27. Over the previous 1 years (1997 to 26), the rate ranged from 358 to 815. 1,2 9 6 3 Auto Theft Rate per 1, Annual Crime Report: 28 13 413 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 356
Austin s auto theft rate in 28 was 58% lower than other US cities of the same size. Auto Theft Rate per 1,: City Comparison 1,5 1,113 1, 852 897 5 492 4 356 511 El Paso Fort Worth US cities Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas ---------- population 5, - 999,999 -------- ------- population 1,, + ------- The most frequently stolen vehicles were Honda Accord and trucks made by Chevrolet, GMC, and Ford. Together, they represent 26% of all stolen vehicles where the make and model were known. In terms of recovery, of all vehicles stolen in 28 (not including attempted thefts), 76% were successfully recovered. That rate is higher than those of either Texas or the US. Auto Theft Recovery Rate 1% 75% 76% 67% 58% 5% 25% % Austin Texas US Annual Crime Report: 28 14
Solving Crime Crimes can be cleared in two ways: by arrest and by exception. A crime is cleared exceptionally when a circumstance prevents an arrest. Examples include when the offender dies, the victim refuses to cooperate with the prosecution, or the offender is being prosecuted in another jurisdiction and cannot be extradited. % of Crimes Cleared by Arrest or Exception* Part I Index Crimes US Cities (pop 5, Austin - 999,999) Murder 83% 55% Rape 5% 4% Robbery 3% 21% Aggravated Assault 56% 47% Total Violent Crime 47% 37% Burglary 7% 9% Theft 12% 13% Auto Theft 1% 1% Total Property Crime 11% 12% * Note: the FBI will not release 28 statistics until September 29, so 27 statistics are used for other cities. 28 statistics are available and are shown for Austin (produced by APD, may vary from those published by FBI). During 28, Austin police solved, or cleared, 47% of the reported violent crimes. This compared with 37% for all large US cities (those with 5, to 999,999 residents) using the most recent data available. When looking at type of violent crime clearances, Austin outperformed other cities on all types. Solving property crimes is generally more difficult because many property crimes are discovered after the crime has occurred, with no known suspects or witnesses. During 28 Austin solved 11% of property crimes, which was slightly lower than other cities of similar size. Annual Crime Report: 28 15
Traffic Fatalities During 28 there were 57 fatal collisions that resulted in 59 deaths, as compared with 59 fatal collisions and 6 deaths in 27. The 28 rate was 1.26 fatalities per 1 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), nearly the same as the rate of 1.27 in 27. 2. Traffic Fatalities per 1 Million VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) 1.5 1.27 1.26 1..5. 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Austin s rate of 1.26 fatalities per 1 million VMT was lower than the rates of 1.38 for Texas and 1.36 fatalities for the US. Traffic Fatality Rate per 1 Million VMT: Jurisdiction Comparison* 2. 1.5 1.26 1.38 1.36 1..5 - Austin Texas US * Note: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (data source) will not release 28 statistics until May 29, so 27 statistics are used for Texas and the US and 28 statistics are used for Austin. Annual Crime Report: 28 16
Most traffic fatalities involved motor vehicle occupants (25, or 42%), followed by motorcyclists (18, or 31%), and pedestrians (15, or 25%). In 27, 45% of fatalities involved motor vehicle occupants, 13% involved motorcyclists, and 4% involved pedestrians. Victim Type Motor vehicle occupants 42% Pedestrians 25% Bicyclists 2% Motorcyclists 31% Of all motor vehicle fatalities, seven (28%) victims were not using restraints, as compared with 37% in 27. Of all motorcycle fatalities, 12 (67%) victims were not wearing helmets, as compared with 63% in 27. Use of Vehicle Restraints Use of Motorcycle Helmets Unknown 4% Restraint used 68% No restraint used 28% Helmet used 33% No helmet used 67% Annual Crime Report: 28 17
Of all fatal crashes, 22 (39%) involved an impaired driver, as compared with 49% in 27. Of all pedestrian fatalities, seven (47%) involved an impaired pedestrian, as compared with 54% in 27. Fatal Collisions Involving Impaired Drivers Pedestrian Fatalities Involving Impaired Pedestrians Nonimpaired driver 61% Impaired driver 39% Nonimpaired pedestrian 53% Impaired pedestrian 47% Austin's rate of traffic fatalities involving impairment (drivers or pedestrians) is.62 per 1 million vehicle miles traveled. That rate is higher than those of both Texas (.58) and the US (.48). 1. Impaired Traffic Fatality Rate per 1 Million VMT: Jurisdiction Comparison.75.5.62.58.48.25. Austin Texas US Annual Crime Report: 28 18
In 28, 2 (35%) fatal crashes involved speed, as compared with 25% in 27. In 28, 24 (42%) fatal crashes occurred on freeways (e.g., IH-35, Mo-Pac, US Hwy 183, and State Hwy 71/29 West), as compared with 59% in 27. Fatal Collisions Involving Speed Collision Location Speed not involved 65% Speed involved 35% Other 58% Freeway 42% Annual Crime Report: 28 19