Sugar Land crime rates dropped to a 20-year low in 2016, according to an annual report  released in March by the city’s police department.


Crimes rates in Texas and the U.S. are trending downward as well, with the nation’s violent crime rate having dropped by nearly half since 1996, according to FBI data.


Luis Salinas, sociology professor at University of Houston, said the drop in crime can be attributed to a few overarching societal factors, including the economy and demographics.




Sugar Land crime rates fall For the last four years, Sugar Land has recorded far lower crime rates compared to rates recorded by the state as a whole.[/caption]

Most crimes are committed by 15- to 25-year-olds, Salinas said. And as the average age of the national population has increased, there are fewer people in that high-risk age bracket.


“When people get to their 30s, they’re getting settled with a family and a spouse, and they’re less likely to commit crimes,” Salinas said. “If the group of people most likely to commit crime is shrinking, you’ll have less crime.”


According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median resident age in Sugar Land was 41.4 in 2015, the most recent year of data available.


Salinas also pointed to the national economy as a reason for the drop in crime, as the unemployment rate, which except for during the financial crisis, has been at historic lows. People are less likely to break the law if they have an income and financial opportunity, he said.


Salinas said distinct local factors could be affecting Sugar Land’s low crime rates, pointing to the city’s and the county’s large immigrant population.


“There are dozens of studies that show crime rates are lower among immigrant populations than the native-born population,” Salinas said. “If [immigrants] want to prosper and not be deported, they tend to do very well.”



Crime comparison


Sugar Land’s violent crime rate, which includes homicide and aggravated assault, is a fraction of state and national averages, with the city recording a violent crime rate of 0.89 per 1,000 residents in 2015, compared to 4.11 per 1,000 residents  for Texas and 3.73 per 1,000 residents  for the U.S., according to the report. The city rate dropped even lower in 2016, to 0.87. Texas and national rates were not available for 2016.


The Sugar Land Police Department’s clearance rate is also better than state and national averages, the report shows. In 2016, the department cleared nearly 74 percent of violent crimes compared to only 46 percent nationally and 41.9 percent across the state.


However, clearance rates for property crimes are far lower across the board, with the city clearing 27.7 percent of property crimes, compared to 17 percent for Texas and 19.4 percent nationally in 2016.


“There are typically no leads in a property crime,” Police Chief Douglas Brinkley said. “In a violent crime, a victim can give you some information.”



Sugar Land crime rates fallAccidents increase


Car crashes in Sugar Land have increased over the past five years, according to the report. While there were 349 collisions in 2012 that involved an injury, that number ticked up to 364 in 2016. The report shows that crashes in which nobody was injured have also risen over the past five years. There were 1,302 such crashes in 2012 compared to 1,693 in 2016, according to the report.


However, the number of car accidents that resulted in deaths reached a five-year low, dropping from five in 2012 to two in 2016, the report shows. The year 2013 saw the city reach a high of eight deaths from car accidents in that time period.


The report shows speeding was the most common cause of car crashes in 2016, and was also the top type of citation issued by officers. Of the 2,057 car crashes Sugar Land recorded in 2016, speeding was the primary factor in 699 of those, according to the report. The second most common cause of accidents, was unsafe lane changing, which accounted for 178 crashes, according to the report.


“We take complaints daily from callers complaining about people speeding,” Brinkley said.


The number of traffic stops in the city has trended lower over the last five years, from 45,451 in 2012 to 38,259 in 2016.


Meanwhile, another 562 tickets were issued last year for speeding in a school zone.



Break-ins


The number of burglaries in Sugar Land increased from 206 in 2015 to 250 in 2016, according to the report. The majority of those were residential burglaries, including garage break-ins.


Brinkley said the police department works closely with homeowners associations in the city to remind residents to lock their doors and to turn on their home alarm systems when they go out.


“Criminals will always look for an easy deterrent,” Brinkley said. “Leave some lights on. If you have an alarm, put out a sign that says you have one.”


First Colony HOA invites representatives from the Sugar Land and Missouri City police departments to address residents at their monthly meetings.


First Colony HOA executive assistant Rhonda Ray said the police provide status updates on crimes that have occurred, and they discuss ways to prevent crime as well.


The city experienced an increase in motor vehicle burglaries since 2012, according to the report. Brinkley said keeping burglars out of a resident's car often comes down to using common sense.


“We always tell people to lock their doors and keep things out of sight,” Brinkley said. “Don’t let your car be the one people want to go into.”


First Colony Mall recorded the highest number of vehicle break-ins in the city, while two health clubs—Lifetime Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness—also recorded a high number of vehicle break-ins.


“If somebody is waiting in the parking lot of a gym, and they see someone throw their purse in the trunk and go inside, they know that person is going to be exercising for maybe an hour,” Brinkley said.


The report comes as Sugar Land’s police department prepares to take on the additional coverage area of New Territory and Greatwood as part of the city’s annexation of those communities in December. Brinkley said the department has already hired 18 officers and plans to hire another three in the coming months. The officers already hired are going through training now, he said.


“Crime is our No. 1 priority,” said Sugar Land First Assistant City Manager Steve Griffith, who oversees the police department. “People tell me they appreciate the visibility of our public safety in our community.”