HOUSTON — Houston is seeing a significant decrease in violent crime incidents, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.
The chief addressed city council members Wednesday and said data shows the city's murder rate is down more than 17% compared to last year. Other violent crimes like robberies, aggravated assaults and human trafficking have also seen a double-digit decrease percentage compared to last year, though the number of reported rape incidents has increased by 1.8%, Chief Finner said.
As for non-violent crimes, the city has seen an increase of 15.1% in reported auto thefts, partly due to the theft of firearms from vehicles, the chief said. This year alone, approximately 3,000 firearms have been reported stolen from vehicles, Finner reported.
“It’s ridiculous the number of car break-ins we have in the city of Houston," Houston Police Officers' Union Doug Griffith said.
Griffith said it's usually criminals looking for guns, which is why police are urging owners to store them in safes.
“When they see that Glock sticker on the back, or the Sig Sauer sticker on the back, or 2nd Amendment sticker, stuff like that, that’s a target for them," Griffith said.
The Houston Police Department recently updated its pursuit policy and Finner said since then, the department has reported 40% fewer pursuits, 35% fewer collisions and 35% more pursuit terminations.
"Individuals commit crimes in those vehicles," Chief Finner said. "We can't just abandon pursuits, but we are working smarter. We are bringing more management to those pursuits."
Finner gives credit to Mayor Sylvester Turner's "One Safe Houston" initiative and the hard work of his department for the significant reduction in crimes across the city.