Houston crime recap: Theft drops, assault rises in overall slight decrease

Houston crime recap: Theft drops, assault rises in overall slight decreasePhoto: iStock
Hoodline
Published on March 15, 2019

The number of crime incidents in Houston saw an overall decrease last week, after a previous rise, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents fell to 1,722 for the week of March 4, down from 1,823 the week before.

The specific offenses that decreased the most were theft and burglary. Theft fell to 1,138 incidents last week, from 1,203 the week before. Burglary went from 229 to 220.

There were eight reported shooting incidents last week. That represents a steady state from the previous week. There were also 108 incidents of robbery, down from 117 the week before.

Among the few types of offenses that saw an uptick last week, reports of assault went from 191 to 201, and vandalism rose from zero to one.

There were 46 reports of "other" crimes, a decrease of 29 from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations. Of those incidents, 20 involved arrests, such as for drug possession, down from 26 reported arrests the week before.

As far as where crime is concentrated in the city, Northside/Northline, Alief and Downtown had the most reported incidents last week. Alief was at the top of the list the previous week as well.

Crime in Greater Uptown decreased the most. Crime reports in Alief also fell, after increasing the week before, and incidents in Spring Branch East are down considerably as well.

Regarding when crime most often occurs, Saturdays, Thursdays and Wednesdays witnessed the most reported crimes last week. The largest decrease from the previous week occurred on Sundays, Fridays and Tuesdays, while incidents on Thursdays and Saturdays went up. Comparing times of day, late afternoon, early afternoon and midday saw the most crime last week.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area.

This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.

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