SAN ANTONIO — Crime overall is down in San Antonio in most areas while property thefts seem to be on the rise.
Police Chief William McManus gave an update on crime statistics for the first three months of the year at the Public Safety Committee meeting Tuesday. The numbers compare to the same time frame in 2022.
So far, there has been a 15.7 percent decrease in violent crime in San Antonio. According to the report at Tuesday's meeting, significant decreases in assault offenses contributed to the overall decrease in violent crime.
Also, SAPD says most violent crime, including homicides and assaults, are a result of high-risk behavior including drug and gang activity as well as personal disputes. Chief McManus says the risk of being a victim of violent crime is still relatively low for the average San Antonio citizen.
Meanwhile, the report says there has been an increase in property crimes. There has been a 59 percent jump in car thefts in the first three months of the year compared to last year.
There are a few things the police say contributed to that increase in property crimes. Most property crimes are crimes of opportunity, taking advantage of easy targets, SAPD says. The department said it is meeting regularly with resident and businesses to share prevention strategies.
In June of this year, the department plans to implement improvements to the Property Crime Unit to increase visibility and proactivity.
Some other notable aspects of the crime report were a slight decrease in Animal Cruelty crimes as well as large decreases in gambling and prostitution.