SAN ANTONIO — According to SAPD and UTSA, violent crime in the city is down by about seven percent.
The police department and university have been partnering up for a violent crime reduction plan for a year now.
Tuesday, Chief William McManus and Dr. Rob Tillyer with UTSA Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice presented the results they have, so far.
These results are comparing 2022 to 2023 from phase one of the plan. There are three phases total. City-wide violent crime incidents are down 7.3 percent, according to the presentation. Violent crime victims are down 7.4 percent.
It also shows 13 percent fewer people called the police to report a violent crime. Chief McManus added that his officers were able to make more arrests for guns and drugs in what’s being called ‘hot spot’ areas.
Phase 1 focused on hot spot policing. It is when an officer parks in a crime-ridden area for at least 15 minutes with their lights on. In some instances, police will also get out of their vehicle and patrol on foot for 15 minutes.
Through the year, the hot spot locations changed every two months.
“The fact of the matter is, it’s working,” Chief McManus said.
District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda is the head of the public safety committee. She said at first she was skeptical of the plan but is now confident in what is to come.
“I look around and I see something different happening in the community but when you actually see the numbers and the data it’s hard to refute that when they have hard evidence to show this is what’s happening in the community,” Cabello Havrda said.
Right now, SAPD, along with other city offices like Metro Health and Public Works are working on Phase 2 of the plan. It will focus on identifying contributing factors to crime-ridden areas and involve the other city offices to come up with solutions beyond policing.
The group will present their plan in May to city leaders and are hoping to roll out Phase 2 by June.