Crime rates fall within District 9

Statistics recently released by the San Antonio Police Department’s North Substation indicate property crimes within District 9 have dropped 14 percent within the past year.  Violent crimes are also down by 11 percent.  Stretching from Blanco Road to east of Judson Road and from Marshall Road to south of I-410, the North Substation patrol area encompasses the Stone Oak area as well as most of District 9. 

Between Jan. 1 and July 6 of this year, the North Substation reported 5,060 property crimes, down from 5,889 during the same seven-month period in 2009.  Crimes related to stolen cars and graffiti decreased the most, although car burglaries also fell by 9 percent.  However, the 306 businesses burglarized this year was a seven percent increase from the 287 reported in 2009. 

Among violent crimes, the number of businesses robbed also rose 21 percent from 56 in 2009 to 68 this year.  Aggravated assaults and sexual assaults increased slightly as well, while robberies of a person fell from 170 to 115 and crimes of murder plunged 92 percent from 13 in 2009 to just one so far this year.

“I believe that we can attribute this drop in crime in part to the 50 new police officers that the City Council approved for in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget,” District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan states via email.  “Seeing these news statistics from over the past year is very encouraging and shows that we are starting to make a lot of progress in our efforts to reduce crime in District 9.”

Within the Stone Oak area, car burglaries continue to be an ongoing problem although police officers have made great strides in recent months with the arrest of several thieves caught in the act.  Police believe some of those suspects were behind other car burglaries within Stone Oak neighborhoods as well. 

Some area communities, including Summit, Mesa Grande and Stone Mountain, have also amped up efforts to deter car burglars by hiring off-duty officers to patrol their streets along with the SAPD.   

Yet, thieves still regularly target parking lots near Loop 1604 and Hwy 281 and SAPD is urging the public to use extra caution when shopping in the area and remove valuable from their vehicles or hide them from view. 

Auto thefts usually spike during the month of July and police are also warning drivers to turn off the ignition and lock all doors every time they leave their vehicle.  “You should think twice before leaving your keys in the ignition with your engine running in an effort to keep your vehicle cool, even if it’s just for just a few minutes” says Lt. Mike Ritchey, unit director of the Regional Auto Crimes Team (ReACT).

Drivers who leave their keys in the ignition and their vehicles running while unattended make it easier for car thieves to steal their car. In Texas, an estimated 50 percent of the vehicles stolen use the owner’s keys.  “These victim-assisted auto crimes could be prevented simply by taking your keys,” Lt. Ritchey adds.

Leaving keys in the ignition or unattended cars running is actually illegal in the state of Texas and drivers can face misdemeanor fines of up to $200.