This one is a real doozy. Not the story about the state taking over the City of Austin as a “District” of the State. Rinse and repeat nonsense from prior legislative sessions.
No, this gem from reporter Cristela Jones:
Last month, the Austin Police Department said they’ve investigated 62 homicides so far in 2024, which is not far from last year’s count at 73. The city has seen a steady rise in crime since 2020, when the city’s norm was about 25-30 murders per year, APD Chief Lisa Davis told FOX 7.
It’s really something to throw in “2020” and not include any data about the impact of the pandemic on crime across the country. Check out this data from the Council on Criminal Justice to see how crime spiked following the pandemic and has fallen in cities everywhere.
Even her own description shows that there are fewer homicides in 2024 than in 2023 but characterizing that is “a steady rise in crime”.
In fact, since the “end” of the pandemic, crime has continued to fall in the capital city. Based on data from DPS, homicides reported by APD spiked in 2021 at 79 and have fallen each year since. Same with rape and robbery. And not to whataboutism this, but San Antonio had more homicides per capita and a shockingly low clearance rate for that crime than Austin in 2023.
It’s a shame that the new police chief didn’t attempt to take credit for that reduction. The double-down on instilling fear, calling for elected officials from outside the City to be her new bosses, and claiming that the City is reducing police resources on the heels of major budget increases to the department can’t possibly help the situation. Seems like no matter what happens, the department’s leaders are avoiding accountability, even when the data can make them look good!
That doesn’t even address the real elephant in the room… that research shows continued public campaigns by the GOP, police unions, and even police chiefs that claim the city is not safe now, will get even less safe soon, and that the department doesn’t have the resources to prevent crime is the reason crime may increase. But I don’t think we’re ready for that conversation.
mySanAntonio.com – Conservative leader re-files resolution for Texas to takeover Austin
dps.texas.gov – Crime in Texas | Department of Public Safety