If you live in Texas, you may want to be aware of statistics showing that violent crime in the state is on the rise. The 2020 Crime in Texas Report from the Texas Department of Public Safety shows a decrease in overall crime but an increase in violent offenses. Statewide, the overall crime rate declined by 4%, and the property crime rate decreased by 5.9% in 2020. However, the violent crime rate increased by 6.6%.
Texas violent crime rates rising
In Texas, the criminal offenses classified as violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. The sharpest increase in violent crimes occurred in murder, with the 2020 rate increasing by 35.6% from 2019. In 2020, there were 6.6 murders reported per 100,000 population in Texas. The rate of aggravated assault in 2020 increased by 15% from 2019. Aggravated assault accounted for over 65% of the violent crimes reported in Texas during 2020.
Some crime rates declining
According to the violent crimes report, the rate of rapes reported declined by 10.2% in 2020. There were 50.5 rapes reported per 100,000 crimes reported in 2020. The rate of robbery was also down in 2020, declining by 8.4% from 2019. In 2020, there were 91.1 robberies per 100,000 crimes reported in Texas. Overall, there were over 1,300 fewer rapes reported and over 2,100 fewer robberies reported in 2020 than in 2019.
Violent crimes in Texas
In 2020, there were over 2,223 crimes reported per 100,000 people. Nearly 20% of the incidents reported in Texas during 2020 were violent crimes. Texas reported over 520 murders and more than 12,400 aggravated assaults during 2020. Total murders increased by 37%, and aggravated assaults increased by 16% from the previous year. Cities like Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Killeen have some of the highest crime rates in the state.
