Yesterday, February 23, the Tyler Police Department released the crime statistics for 2015. The good news is that the overall crime statistics have been decreasing the past 5 years. Here is a breakdown of the crimes that occurred in Tyler in 2015.
Crimes in the Part 1 category include both violent and property crimes. Robbery, aggravated assault, and theft all decreased in 2015. Robbery was the crime that saw the biggest change, decreasing by 37%. Unfortunately, some crimes increased last year. Homicide increased by 300%; in 2014 there was one homicide and in 2015 there were 4. Sexual assault (rape), burglary, and auto theft increased; reported auto thefts increase by 26% in 2015.
When looking at the past 5 years, 2015 had the lowest amount of reported violent crimes and the second lowest amount of reported property crimes.
The crimes considered “non-violent” are under the category of Part 2 crimes. Many Part 2 crimes decreased in 2015, including:
Unfortunately, there were many crimes that increased in Tyler:
In the past 5 years since 2011, the year of 2015 has the lowest amount of Part 2 reported crimes.
TPD’s Chief Swindle and longtime law enforcement officer Waller provided insight into why they believe certain crimes have been decreasing.
Crimes like forgery, fraud and embezzlement, along with property crimes, tend to decrease with the economy is strong. When the economy is bad, these types of crimes tend to grow. If oil and gas prices continue to decline and the local economy begins to suffer, Chief Swindle warns that these kinds of crimes may increase.
Chief Swindle commends the TPD officers for their hard work in reducing crime in and around Tyler, and he also applauds the residents of Tyler for being involved in community policing. Here are 3 ways you can help lower the crime rates in your community.
Set up a neighborhood watch group in your community, with members of the neighborhood committing to keep watch at specific times. Remember if you run into criminal activity, do not try to stop it yourself; call the police immediately. If your neighbors are out of town, keep an eye on their house. Make sure the neighborhood has the necessary contact information to stay in communication.
To help deter criminals from breaking into your house, keep your property well lit during the night.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent crimes like robbery and burglary is to keep your doors locked; this includes the doors around your house that lead to the outside and your car doors, especially if you park on the street or in the driveway.
Police officers do an excellent job of helping prevent and stop crimes. However, it’s impossible for them to prevent or stop all crimes. The most effective way to reduce Tyler’s 2016 crime rates is for citizens to help police and monitor their own communities.
If you’ve been injured or harmed as the result of criminal activity (like a drunk driver or violent robber), contact Colley & Colley law firm in Tyler, Texas for a free consultation. We’re dedicated to providing you with the best legal counsel in East Texas.
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