Houston's top cop paints optimistic picture that crime stats are down but 'still work to be done'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner presented 2022 crime numbers to the city council Wednesday morning and painted a cautiously-optimistic picture that violent crime statistics are trending downward in the city.

"There's still work to be done when people are dying in our city," Finner said of the report.

Violent crime in Houston, which includes murder, rape, and aggravated assault, was down 8% overall in 2022 when compared to 2021. There were 435 murders in Houston in 2022, as opposed to 477 in 2021 - a decrease of 9%.

The statistics provided by HPD also show rape was down 18%, robbery was down 9%, and aggravated assault was down 8% over the same time period.

You can track crime and safety across Houston and in your neighborhood, with ABC13's Neighborhood Safety Tracker.

Finner said the city's One Safe Houston plan, which was unveiled last year as a comprehensive way to reduce violent crime in Houston, played a role in these numbers.

While the overall number of violent crimes was down, the number of non-violent crimes, such as burglary and theft, rose in Houston from 2021 to 2022.

For example, there was an 11% rise in auto thefts in the city during that time frame, per the report.

At the end of the day, Finner said it requires everyone - the police, the justice system, and the community - to come together to combat crime in Houston.

"We simply have to come together and have a comprehensive plan about getting violent defenders where they need to be - prosecuted, in jail, and then convicted," Finner said.

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