Property Crime Drops in Amarillo. But Violent Crime Remains a Concern.

Zack Mossbrooks, zmossbro@ttu.edu

Overall crime in Amarillo dropped nearly 10% last year, mostly because there were fewer break-ins and stolen cars. But while property crime is going down, violent crime is still a problem. 

Murders and assaults haven’t seen the same downturn, and police are working on new ways to keep the city safe.

According to the Amarillo Police Department’s 2023 crime report, break-ins went down by 19%, and car thefts dropped by more than 27% compared to the year before.

Police say that better home security, smarter policing, and more awareness in the community all helped bring these numbers down. But violent crime has been tougher to handle.

The number of murders in Amarillo went up from 21 in 2021 to 23 in 2022, and reports of sexual assault jumped almost 30%, rising from 145 to 188.

In nearby counties, crime rates vary,

In  Deaf Smith County, most arrests in the last ten years were for non-violent crimes. From 2013 to 2021, there were no reported killings.  and in 2020, no one filed any complaints against the police. That shows a more peaceful relationship between officers and the community in that area.

The same is true in Armstrong and Lipscomb counties, which barely have any violent crime. 

By contrast, Potter County, which includes part of Amarillo,  has a higher rate of violent crime than most nearby counties. 

In order to cope, Amarillo police are trying new ideas. One of the most significant changes  changes has been the Gang Intelligence Team, which focuses on gang-related violence and revenge shootings. Police say this has already helped lower the number of violent incidents. 

Another initiative has been the Pedestrian Safety Task Force, which started after residents were hit and killed while walking. Since the program began, more than 140 arrests have been made, and almost 90 tickets have been handed out each month. 

The goal is to reduce reckless driving and unsafe street crossings to help keep people safe.

At the same time, police are trying to connect better with the community. The Community Advisory Panel (CAP) lets residents meet with officers, share concerns, and provide  ideas for making neighborhoods safer. 

Another program, the Citizen Police Academy, gives people a closer look at how the police department works. The hope is that by making policing  more open, trust between officers and the community will improve, especially in places where people don’t always feel heard.

Compared to other Texas cities, Amarillo’s crime trends are a mix of good and bad. The overall drop in crime matches what’s happening in cities  like Lubbock and Midland, but Amarillo still has more murders than cities its size. 

 One bright spot,  however, is that Amirillo police have an   88% solve rate when it comes to homicides, which is much higher than the state average of just 53%.

Looking ahead, the city is focusing on lowering violent crime, making streets safer for pedestrians, and improving trust between the police and the public. There’s already talk about expanding CAP meetings, using better crime-tracking technology, and putting more resources into high-crime areas. Amarillo has made progress, but it’s still too soon to tell if these changes will make a lasting difference.