Our city is safe for people but not so much our homes and possessions, says the FBI. Of American cities with half a million residents or more, Austin ranks third lowest in violent crimes against people, and even safer than two years ago, when it came in fifth. But the ratings are far different when it comes to property crimes, reports the Austin American-Statesman. We came in at #27 out of 33. But even that was an improvement over 2010’s #29 out of 34.
Police Chief Art Acevedo attributes some of last year’s 7,000 plus burglaries to drug addicts needing the feed their habits and residents being lax about security. But overall he feels positive about the data, especially the low rate of violent offenses.
“I think this is something we can be very proud of, despite the Austin Police Department being a very lean department,” Acevedo said, noting the city’s explosive population growth in recent years.