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Property Crime Trends in Surfside Beach, Texas: A Decade of Significant Improvement
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
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Crime
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Surfside Beach, a small coastal community in Texas, has experienced fluctuating property crime rates over the past decade. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of property crimes decreased by 72.41%, from 29 to 8 incidents. During this same period, the population increased slightly by 1.62%, from 555 to 564 residents.
Burglary trends in the city have shown a significant decline over time. In 2010, there were 9 burglaries reported, which decreased to just 2 in 2022, representing a 77.78% reduction. When considering the population trends, the burglary rate per 1,000 people dropped from 16.22 in 2010 to 3.55 in 2022. The city's contribution to state burglary figures has remained consistently low, fluctuating between 0% and 0.01% of the state total. This substantial decrease in burglaries suggests improved home security measures or increased community vigilance.
Larceny theft incidents have shown a more varied pattern. The number of larceny thefts decreased from 14 in 2010 to 6 in 2022, a 57.14% reduction. The rate per 1,000 people also declined from 25.23 to 10.64 over the same period. The city's share of state larceny theft figures has remained minimal, consistently at 0% or 0.01%. This trend indicates a general improvement in property protection or a shift in criminal activity away from petty theft in the area.
Motor vehicle theft trends have been volatile. There were 6 incidents in 2010, which dropped to 0 in 2022. However, there was a spike to 8 incidents in 2020. The rate per 1,000 people fluctuated accordingly, peaking at 13.27 in 2020 before falling to 0 in 2022. The city's contribution to state motor vehicle theft figures has ranged from 0% to 0.01%. This erratic pattern suggests that while overall motor vehicle theft has decreased, the city may be vulnerable to occasional spikes in this type of crime.
Arson incidents have been rare in the city. Only one case was reported in 2010, with no incidents recorded in subsequent years. The arson rate per 1,000 people was 1.80 in 2010 and has since remained at 0. The city's contribution to state arson figures was 0.02% in 2010 and has been 0% since then. This indicates that arson is not a significant concern for the community.
There appears to be a moderate correlation between property crime trends and population density. As the population density fluctuated between 309 and 390 people per square mile from 2013 to 2022, property crime rates showed similar variations. For instance, when the population density peaked at 390 in 2015, property crime incidents increased to 19, up from 10 the previous year.
Applying predictive models to forecast property crime trends, it's estimated that by 2029, the city may see a further reduction in overall property crime incidents. Based on the current downward trend, total property crimes could potentially decrease to around 5-6 incidents per year, assuming consistent population growth and continued effectiveness of crime prevention measures.
In summary, Surfside Beach has demonstrated a remarkable improvement in property crime rates over the past decade. The significant decreases in burglary and larceny theft, coupled with the near-elimination of arson and the recent drop in motor vehicle theft, paint a picture of a community that has become safer over time. These trends, if maintained, suggest a positive outlook for public safety in this small Texas coastal city.
