Submitted by Rick & Cathy Pepper
As your Code Blue captains for The Villages of Woodland Springs, we attend a quarterly meeting with COPS captains from around Fort Worth. This meeting is a time for FWPD Chief Ralph Mendoza to update us on the Code Blue program, crime trends and reduction, among other topics.
Chief Mendoza reviewed the crime statistics for the past year (preliminary). The overall crime rate for 2006 from 2005 city-wide is down about 2-3%! Homicide, rape, and auto theft are each down >10%, Aggravated assault has risen about 10%. Part 1 crimes (murder, rape, robbery, etc.) are up about 5% over 2005. Property crimes (theft, auto theft, burglary, etc.) have been reduced about 2%.
The homicide rate is now the lowest for the city since 1963, although the city boundaries and population are much larger now. A rise in bank robberies earlier in 2006 was reversed after most of the bad guys were caught and convicted.
Fort Worth is now the 5th safest large city in America. Our Police and Fire departments do a great job of protecting the 347 square miles and more than 620,000 people that comprise FW. Chief Mendoza was quick to point out that much of the crime reduction results from citizens who want a safe city; citizens who report suspicious activity to the police, and the efforts of the Code Blue/ Citizens on Patrol volunteers.
The Chief has charged his officers and all of us to continue reducing crime and to make FW the safest big city!
December 2006 Crimes in VOWS:
12/19 - Snapdragon Dr. - Auto Theft
12/30 - Vienna Apple Dr. - Theft (construction site)
12/31 - Coyote Ridge Dr. - Auto Theft
