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San Benito's Decade of Violent Crime: Aggravated Assaults on the Rise
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
San Benito, located in Texas, has experienced fluctuating violent crime rates over the past decade, set against a backdrop of relatively stable population growth. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of violent crimes increased from 78 to 128, representing a 64.1% increase. During this same period, the population grew modestly from 31,140 to 32,366, a 3.9% increase.
Murder rates in the city have remained notably low, with most years recording zero murders. The only exceptions were 2012 and 2021, each with one reported murder. This translates to a murder rate of 0.03 per 1,000 people in those years. The percentage of state murders attributable to San Benito has been minimal, peaking at 0.11% in 2012 and 0.06% in 2021. These figures suggest that murder is not a significant concern for the city, especially when compared to state-wide statistics.
Rape incidents have shown considerable variation over the years. The number of reported rapes increased dramatically from 11 in 2010 to a peak of 52 in 2017, before declining to zero in 2022. This translates to a rate that rose from 0.35 per 1,000 people in 2010 to 1.60 per 1,000 in 2017, before falling to zero in 2022. The city's contribution to state-wide rape statistics fluctuated accordingly, reaching a high of 0.47% in 2017 before dropping to 0% in 2022. This volatile trend suggests changing reporting practices or localized factors affecting sexual violence rates.
Robbery trends have shown a general decline over the observed period. From 18 incidents in 2010, robberies decreased to 10 in 2022, with some fluctuations in between. The robbery rate per 1,000 people decreased from 0.58 in 2010 to 0.31 in 2022. The city's percentage of state robberies remained relatively low, peaking at 0.08% in 2011 and settling at 0.05% in 2022. This downward trend in robberies is a positive indicator for public safety in the city.
Aggravated assault has shown the most significant increase among violent crimes in San Benito. The number of incidents rose from 49 in 2010 to 118 in 2022, peaking at 181 in 2020. This translates to a rate increase from 1.57 per 1,000 people in 2010 to 3.65 per 1,000 in 2022. The city's contribution to state-wide aggravated assaults grew from 0.09% in 2010 to 0.16% in 2022, with a high of 0.25% in 2020. This upward trend in aggravated assaults is concerning and warrants attention from local law enforcement and community leaders.
Examining correlations, there appears to be a strong relationship between the rise in violent crimes, particularly aggravated assaults, and the city's high Hispanic population, which has consistently remained around 91-92% throughout the observed period. The population density, which has remained relatively stable around 2,000-2,100 people per square mile, does not seem to have a strong correlation with crime trends.
Applying predictive models based on the observed trends, it's projected that by 2029, San Benito may see a continued increase in aggravated assaults, potentially reaching around 140-150 incidents annually. Robbery rates are likely to remain low, possibly decreasing further to 6-8 incidents per year. Rape incidents may continue to fluctuate but are predicted to remain below 20 per year. Murder rates are expected to stay very low, with most years likely seeing zero incidents.
In summary, San Benito has experienced a significant increase in violent crimes over the past decade, driven primarily by a rise in aggravated assaults. While murder and robbery rates remain low, the fluctuations in rape incidents and the persistent increase in assaults present challenges for the community. The city's law enforcement and policymakers may need to focus on strategies to address aggravated assaults specifically, while maintaining the positive trends in other violent crime categories.
