CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The FBI’s 2019 database ranks Corpus Christi as the 43rd most dangerous city in America in terms of violent crimes.
Corpus Christi Police Department Lt. Michael Pena says the FBI gathers information to report crime data called uniform crime reporting.
The FBI’s report classifies murder, some cases of manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault as violent crimes.The FBI data show there were an estimated 736.9 violent crimes per 100,000 people in Corpus Christi in 2019.
We looked at the report to see how Corpus Christi ranks against other major cities in the state.
Compared to Houston, our rate of violent crime is lower. Houston has 1,072 violent crimes, but the data shows Corpus Christi does have higher rates of violent crime than San Antonio which has 515.9 or Austin at 286.9. Dallas doesn’t report its violent crime statistics to the FBI and therefore, isn’t ranked on the list.
“Of the 1,145 law enforcement agencies in Texas. Only 694 sent their information to the FBI,” Pena said.
To ensure a great relationship and bond with the community, Pena says the CCPD has established meetings and events with the public.
“We are involved with National Night Out, Safe Return and pre-COVID we had meetings to meet with our community,” Pena said.
To help reduce crime, Pena said that CCPD applies for grants such as the Click it or Ticket state grant and the DWI patrol. The CCPD also is in the process of hiring more police officers.
“We have a great relationship with the community," Pena said. "We strive to reduce crime and the fear of crime which is important."
Compared to last year, the FBI report shows it has the way violent crimes are reported. So it's unknown if crime increased or decreased from 2018 to 2019 in Corpus Christi.
If you are witness to a crime and do not want to be identified, you are urged to call Crime Stoppers stoppers at 361-888-TIPS.
And if you are interested in applying for the next CCPD police academy, check their link here.
