introduction€¦ · introduction this report includes: • national rankings (1) • citywide...

CRIME IN AUSTINSUMMER 2020

Join the Neighborhood Network at austincrime.org. Follow us on Facebook (@CrimeComm) and Twitter (@gacc97).

As the Austin City Council “reimagines” public safety and cutting 100 police positions, relevant data should be considered to make evidence-based decisions. Will crime go down? Will response times improve? Will police have more time to handle property crime and get to know the neighborhoods they serve? Does Austin need fewer cops than it had �ve years ago?

According to the latest FBI rankings, Austin is the �fth-safest large city (down from the second safest in 2014), but dropped from 11th to 18th in property crime. Citywide, aggravated assaults and individual robberies were up last year. Violent and property crime also increased signi�cantly downtown and in the entertainment district. Response times are slower and tra�c fatalities increased.

According to the latest FBI rankings, Austin is the �fth-safest large city (down from second safest in 2014), but dropped from 11th to 18th in property crime.

National Rankings

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

1

Introduction

THIS REPORT INCLUDES:• National Rankings (1)

• Citywide Violent Crime (2)

• Citywide Property Crime (3)

• Crime by City Council District (4)

• O�ce of Police Oversight (4)

• Emergency and Urgent Call Response Time (5)

• Tra�c Fatalities (5)

• Downtown Public Improvement and Entertainment Districts (6)

• Community Policing (Engagement) Time (7)

• Public Safety Budget (8)

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

2 2 4 5 5 5

21 17 17 13 11 18

Austin’s ranking among the safest major US cities on violent crime

Austin’s ranking among the safest major US cities on property crime

Aggravated assaults (15 percent), individual robberies (6 percent) and business robberies (2 percent) were up last year.

*Family Violence (FV)

Citywide Violent Crime

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Violent Crime 2018 Total 2019 Total Percent Increase

Homicide 31 32 3%

Rape 698 515 -26%

Bank Robbery 25 19 -24%

Business Robbery 245 249 2%

Individual Robbery 747 795 6%

Aggravated Assault no FV 1,019 1,168 15%

Aggravated Assault FV 1,109 1,099 -1%

Total Pt I Violent 3,874 3,877 0%

Source: Austin Police Department

Among large cities, Austin dropped from 11th to 18th for property crime in 2018. Burglary non-residential (14 percent), auto theft (21 percent), burglary of vehicle (11 percent), and other theft (6 percent) were up last year.

Citywide Property Crime


2018 Total 2019 Total Percent IncreaseProperty Crime

Property Crime 2018 Total 2019 Total Percent IncreaseBurglary (non-residential) 1,974 2,241 14%

Burglary (residential) 2,211 1,976 -11%

Auto Theft 2,432 2,938 21%

Burglary of Vehicle 10,985 12,173 11%

Other Theft 15,527 16,416 6%

Total Pt I Property 33,129 35,744 8%

Source: O�ce of Police Oversight, City of Austin


Crime by City Council District (2019)

Office of Police Oversight

Discrepancies in crime totals are due to di�erences in Uniform Crime Reporting program and new National Incident-Based Reporting System.

*Calculated based on 85 percent of 802 contacts.

In 2019, the O�ce of Police Oversight (OPO) received 802 community contacts. Not all of these contacts were complaints; 101 were “thank you” notes sent to police o�cers. �e Austin Police Department responded to 517,621 calls for service during the same time period.

• 85 percent of the contacts were substantive complaints that resulted in preliminary reviews

• 155 preliminary reviews resulted in supervisory referrals to APD Internal A�airs

• 0.13 percentage of calls responded to by APD resulted in a substantive complaint made to the OPO and 0.03 percentange resulted in a supervisory referral


Crime Ranking by Council District (2019)


D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10

Murder 5 7 6 8 0 0 1 0 4 1

Rape 86 83 110 99 42 35 39 18 84 18

Robbery 163 86 187 246 38 47 86 15 166 13

Aggravated Assault 389 272 366 445 150 110 183 49 259 51

Burglary 482 341 587 663 457 319 529 136 536 206

Theft 2,238 1,980 3,840 3,610 2,551 1,897 4,445 1,774 5,295 1,587

Auto Theft 315 332 467 508 224 142 346 124 365 109

Total 3,678 3,101 5,563 5,579 3,462 2,550 5,629 2,116 6,709 1,985

Total

32

614

1,047

2,274

4,256

29,217

2,932

40,372

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10

Murder 4 2 3 1 8 8 6 8 5 6

Rape 3 5 1 2 6 8 7 9 4 9

Robbery 4 5 2 1 8 7 5 9 3 10

Aggravated Assault 2 4 3 1 7 8 6 10 5 9

Burglary 5 7 2 1 6 8 4 10 3 9

Theft 6 7 3 4 5 8 2 9 1 10

Auto Theft 6 5 2 1 7 8 4 9 3 10

Contacts Preliminary Reviews

Supervisory Re�erals

Number 802 682* 155

Total calls responded to by APD

517,621Percentage of calls responded to by APD

0.16% 0.13% 0.03%


Police response times for emergency and urgent calls increased for at least the eighth consecutive year (up 28 percent overall since 2011).

Emergency and Urgent Call Response Times


In 2019, Austin had eighty-six tra�c fatalities. �irty-six were pedestrians (the highest number in at least a decade). More than half of the pedestrians killed in 2019 were individuals experiencing homelessness.

Traffic Fatalities


FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18

Total police response time for EMERGENCY and URGENT calls

6:45 7:19 7:30 7:45 8:04 8:04 8:18 8:40

Number of EMERGENCY and URGENT calls dispatched for service

65,149 73,962 77,996 79,169 83,755 87,251 88,916 83,920

Number of incidents responded to by patrol o�cers, including self-initiated calls

665,440 638,006 623,768 595,292 584,320 666,112 665,290 600,053

Number of calls dispatched for service 379,624 373,494 348,915 335,995 337,406 346,473 341,841 332,121

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Tra�c Fatalities 78 75 63 102 79 76 74 88

Part I violent crimes include aggravated assault, homicide, rape, and robbery.Part I property crimes include non-residential burglary, residential burglary, burglary of vehicle, theft, and theft of auto.Part I robbery includes aggravated robbery (deadly weapon), robbery by assault, and robbery by threat.

Violent and property crime increased signi�cantly downtown and in the entertainment district last year.

Downtown Public Improvement (PID) and Entertainment Districts (ED)



PID ED2018 2019 % Change 2018 2019 % Change

PT I Violent 186 206 11% 60 91 52%

PT I Property 1,126 1,203 7% 358 434 21%

PT I Robbery 73 95 30% 25 48 92%

Aggravated Assault 84 94 12% 29 38 31%

Assault 760 894 18% 279 383 37%

Auto Theft 77 100 30% 15 26 73%

Bike Theft 114 89 -22% 23 6 -74%

Burglary Non-Residential 50 52 4% 10 14 40%

Burglary of Vehicle 235 276 17% 45 40 -11%

Criminal Mischief 276 297 8% 74 81 9%

Criminal Trespass 306 240 -22% 34 42 24%

Disorderly Conduct Fighting 104 89 -14% 78 79 1%

Indecent Exposure 16 24 50% 6 6 0%

Narcotics 259 289 12% 67 135 101%

Rape 27 12 -56% 6 6 0%

Sexual Assault 11 12 9% 2 1 -50%

Shoplifting 51 41 -20% 7 8 14%

Theft from Person 132 227 72% 81 162 100%


Last year, available community policing (engagement) time was 28 percent. �e national standard is 35–45 percent and the community goal is 35 percent.*

*Business, community, and neighborhood groups endorsed the goal of achieving 35 percent community policing (engagement) time in 2017.

Community Policing (Engagement) Time


National Standard

Minimum Goal

Public safety spending as a percentage of the General Fund has decreased 2.9 percent since �scal year 2014–15.

Public safety agencies made up 69.7 percent of the City of Austin General Fund in �scal year 2014–15 and 66.8 percent in �scal year 2019–20. �is 2.9 percent decrease may not seem like much, but represents a $31 million reduction in spending during the same period and a 4 percent budget reduction for public safety departments.

�e $4 billion city operating budget includes the Enterprise and General Funds. �e Austin Police Department makes up 10 percent of the operating budget and 40 percent of the General Fund. When transfers to other city service departments are taken out, personnel costs make up 92 percent of the Austin Police Department budget.

Public Safety Budget

*Full-Time Equivalents (FTE)

*General Fund (GF)

Follow the Greater Austin Crime Commission on Facebook (@CrimeComm) and Twitter (@gacc97). For more information, email [email protected].


FY20 Authorized Strength

FY20 Operating Budget

Austin Fire Department 1236 Sworn FTE $201,323,849

)Austin Police Department

1959 Sworn FTE $434,425,745

)Austin/Travis County EMS

569 Sworn FTE $92,278,228

)

FY15 FY20

Police % of GF* 41.56% 39.86%

Fire % of GF 19.48% 18.41%

EMS % of GF 8.63% 8.54%

Public Safety % of GF 69.67% 66.81%

Mayor Steve AdlerUntil Jan 2023512-978-2100

District 1Natasha

Harper-MadisonUntil Jan 2023512-978-2101

District 2DeliaGarza

Until Jan 2021512-978-2102

District 3Sabino "Pio"

RenteriaUntil Jan 2023512-978-2103

District 4Gregorio

"Greg" CasarUntil Jan 2021512-978-2104

District 5Ann

KitchenUntil Jan 2023512-978-2105

District 6James

FlanniganUntil Jan 2021512-978-2106

District 7LesliePool

Until Jan 2021512-978-2107

District 8Paige Ellis

Until Jan 2023512-978-2108

District 9KathieTovo

Until Jan 2023512-978-2109

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2

3

4

5

67

8

9

10

District 10AlisonAlter

Until Jan 2021512-978-2110

introduction€¦ · introduction this report includes: • national rankings (1) • citywide...

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