Public Safety 2000: Demographic Profile

The decrease in crime in Austin/Travis County is present for all types of crimes, even violent. Between 1995 and 1998, the number of murders reported in Travis County decreased by 26%, the number of reported robberies decreased by 18%, and the number of reported aggravated assaults decreased by 22% (Texas Department of Public Safety).

Figure 14.
Number of Referrals to Travis County Juvenile Probation, CY 1994 to 1999

Similarly, juvenile crime in Travis County has consistently decreased since 1995. Despite a slight increase in the juvenile population ages 10 to 16, the number of referrals to Juvenile Probation decreased by 23% from CY 1995 to CY 1999. (See Figure 14.)

Figure 15.
Number of Referrals to Travis County Juvenile Probation, by Offense, CY 19995

In CY 1999, only 8% of the referrals to Travis County Juvenile Probation were for violent offenses, and only 2% were felony level violent offenses. In contrast, in CY 1994, there were 1,197 referrals (14%) for violent offenses. In CY 1999, over 1 in 4 referrals were for curfew violations. (See Figure 15.)

Use of Weapons

Nationally, fatal firearm injuries have decreased in recent years (Centers for Disease Control). Similarly, the percentage of reported murders, robberies, and assaults that were committed with firearms has decreased in Travis County. (See Figure 16.)

Figure 16.
Percent of Reported Crimes in Travis County Committed with Firearms, by Offense, 1994 to 1998

Consistent with reports of decreased firearm offenses, the Center for Disease Control's Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that the percentage of youth surveyed nationally that reportedly carried a weapon, whether a gun or otherwise, decreased in the last several years. (See Table 8.)

Table 8.
Percent of Youths Surveyed that Reported Carrying a Weapon, 1991 to 1997

Behavior Committed in 30 Days Preceding the Survey	1991	1993	1995	1997
Carried a weapon	26.1%	22.1%	20.0%	18.3%
Carried a gun	Unavailable	7.9%	7.6%	5.9%
Carried weapon on school property	Unavailable	11.8%	9.8%	8.5%

Source: Center for Disease Control, Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Despite promising trends, a Los Angeles study showed that, compared with older individuals, individuals under 21 years of age are more likely to use guns to kill themselves or someone else (Yahoo! News, December 10, 1999). This study suggests that reducing youth access to firearms may help reduce gun-related deaths and injuries.

School Crime

Despite recent headlines regarding school violence, a recent Austin school district report found that Austin public schools are safer now than they were four years ago (Trower, November 17, 1999). The number of student assault arrests decreased by about 70% in the last two years. Garza Independence High School, AISD's alternative high school, even received national recognition from the Department of Education as a model for safe schools. The school has not experienced a single assault since it opened in January 1998.

In addition, research shows that students are safer at school than away from school. In fact, serious violent juvenile crime is highest in the hours immediately following the school day and in the evenings on non-school days (Snyder & Sickmund, September 1999). Consequently, after-school programs have more crime reduction potential than juvenile curfews6. The rate of juvenile violence in the after-school hours is four times the rate during the nighttime curfew period (Snyder & Sickmund, September 1999).

These data suggest that communities could benefit from developing positive options for students during after-school hours. To support this development, 15 junior high and middle schools in the Austin, Del Valle, Pflugerville, and Lago Vista ISDs will get part of $10 million from the Texas Education Agency to fund after-school programs (K-EYE 42 News, November 30, 1999).

Crime by Zip Code

Table 9.
Referrals to Travis County Juvenile Probation by Zip Code of Residence, 1999

Zip Code	Number Referred7	Percentage of Total
78744	1,099	12%
78745	804	9%
78723	616	7%
78702	600	7%
78753	497	6%
Others	5,188	59%
Total	8,804	100%

Source: Travis County Juvenile Probation

Crime levels are higher in some areas of Travis County than others. In 1999, over one in five referrals to Travis County Juvenile Probation were for juveniles who lived in the 78744 or 78745 zip codes (see Table 9), areas with higher juvenile gang membership as well (see Table 4). These data indicate that focusing crime prevention programs in these areas may be beneficial.

OFFENDERS

Age

As Figure 17 shows, individuals in some age groups commit more offenses, or are more "crime-prone", than individuals in other age groups. In 1999, adults ages 17 to 44 comprised 73% of the arrests in Travis County, but only 47% of the Travis County population.

Figure 18.
Estimated Travis County Juvenile Crime-Prone Population (Ages 10 to 16), 1996 to 2005

Future increases in crime are often tied, in part, to the expected growth of the crime-prone population. The Texas A&M University State Data Center has estimated that, in Travis County, the adult crime prone population (individuals ages 17 to 44) will remain relatively stable between 2000 and 2005. In contrast, the smaller juvenile crime-prone age group (juveniles ages 10 to 16) is projected to grow by 19% between 2000 and 2005. (See Figure 18.)

The elderly population represents a small, but growing, segment of the Texas offender population. In 1994, there were about 2,600 inmates, ages 55 or older, in Texas prisons, whereas in 1998, there were nearly 4,800. The elderly prison population has grown faster than any other population of inmates. A faster growth in admissions to prison of elderly offenders and longer sentences are the two main reasons for the growth. The increase in the number of elderly inmates is problematic, due to the special needs of this population. This increase may cause the health care costs of inmates to increase substantially (Martinez, et. al., January 1999).

Gender

While a greater number of males than females commit crimes, the percentage of crimes committed by females is increasing. In 1995, for example, 26% of referrals to Travis County Juvenile Probation were females, while in 1999, 31% were females. (See Figure 19.) Similarly, the female inmate population in the Travis County jails increased by 6.5% from 1997 to 1998 (Travis County Sheriff's Office, 1998).

Figure 19.
Percent of Travis County Juvenile Probation Referrals that Were Females, 1995 to 1999

According to a study released by the General Accounting Office (Yahoo! News, February 1, 2000), the passage of tough new laws for drug offenders plays a large part in the increase of female offenders. According to the study, drug sentencing accounted for most of the increase since 1990, with the number of female inmates serving time for drug offenses nearly doubling.

The study also found that women in prison are more likely to suffer from AIDS and mental illness than are male inmates, and are more likely to live greater distances from their families. About two-thirds of female inmates had children under 18 waiting for them at home. Another 1,400 babies were delivered in prisons in 1998.

Ethnicity

Figure 20.
Race/Ethnicity of Travis County Population, Ages 10 to 16, versus Travis County Juvenile Probation Referral Population, CY 19999

In contrast to age and gender, however, the patterns of offense by ethnicity are correlated with poverty. If you control for socioeconomic status, many of the racial differences in offending disappear. Therefore, it appears that poverty, rather than ethnicity, influences criminal behavior (Mauer, 1999).

VICTIMS

In 1998, Americans ages 12 and older experienced approximately 31 million violent and property victimizations (United States Department of Justice, July 1999). These are the lowest recorded rates since 1973 and represent a downward trend that started in 1994.

Figure 21.
Percent of Austin Residents Surveyed that were Victims of Crime by Location of Residence, 1999

Locally, similar trends are occurring. According to a citizen survey conducted by the City of Austin, the percentage of Austin residents reportedly victimized decreased from 16% in 1997 to 8% in 1999. The percentage of residents victimized varied by the area of Austin in which respondents lived. (See Figure 21.) Southeast Austin had the highest reported number of victims, while Central East Austin had the lowest. The low level of victimization in Central Austin is likely due, in part, to the low number of respondents from that area of Austin (only 8% of survey respondents were from East Central Austin).

Figure 22.
Percent of Austin Residents Reporting Being Victimized that Reported the Crime to the Austin Police Department by Location of Residence, 1999

The percentage of victims who actually reported crimes against them to the Austin Police Department decreased from 1997 (77%) to 1999 (66%). Again, the percentages varied by location of residence with a smaller percentage of crimes being reported in Central West and Southwest Austin. (See Figure 22.)

Age

National data shows that juveniles (ages 12-17) and young adults (ages 18-24) have the greatest risk of being victims of crime (Snyder & Sickmund, September 1999). In 1998, young people were victims in 58% of forcible rapes, with 15% of victims being under the age of 12 (Office of Justice Programs, November 23, 1999).

In the United States, one of the leading causes of death for juveniles is homicide. In 1997, the National Center for Health Statistics listed homicide as the fourth leading cause of death for 1 to 4 year olds, third for 5 to 14 years olds, and second for 15 to 24 year olds (Snyder & Sickmund, September 1999). For many of the children ages three and younger, the greatest risk of death is from abuse or neglect. In Travis County, the number of child homicides has decreased, from 11 deaths in 1996 to 3 deaths in 1999 (Travis County Child Fatality Review Team, 1999).

The impact of crimes on young victims can be devastating, and violent victimization can lead to a cycle of violence in which young victims become adult offenders. Consequently, it is especially important to address the needs of young victims. Most victimizations of juveniles, however, are not reported to police. In 1996, 48% of the serious violent victimizations of juveniles in the United States were not reported to police or any other authority (teachers, school principals, etc.) (Snyder & Sickmund, September 1999). Part of the reason for the lower rate of reporting is that juveniles are less likely to report violent crimes than are adults, especially if the incident took place outside of school, did not result in injury, or involved a juvenile perpetrator (Snyder & Sickmund, September 1999).

In contrast to youth, elderly persons are generally victimized less often than the rest of the population (Lichtblau, January 10, 2000). In 1998, 0.7% of at-risk elderly in Travis County were confirmed victims of abuse (Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services). In general, individuals ages 65 and older are 10 times less likely to be murdered, assaulted, robbed, or otherwise victimized than younger people. The risk of being victimized may be lower because senior citizens live less risky lifestyles. Despite the lower risk, elderly are more frightened of crime, because they know they do not heal as fast, they cannot fight back as well, and they can be targets of crime, as is seen with some financial crimes (Lichtblau, January 10, 2000).

Gender

In 1998, American males were victimized at a significantly higher rate (43.1 per 1,000 persons ages 12 and older) than females (30.4 per 1,000), although females were more likely to report being victimized than were males (United States Department of Justice, July 1999). Victimization rates, however, vary by type of offense. While males are more likely to be victims of robberies and assaults, females are more likely to be victims of rapes and sexual assaults (United States Department of Justice, July 1999).

Ethnicity

In 1998, blacks in the United States were victimized at somewhat higher rates (41.7 per 1,000 persons ages 12 and older) than whites (36.3 per 1,000) and at significantly higher rates than other races (27.6). Blacks were more likely to report being victimized than were whites (U.S. Department of Justice: NCVS, July, 1999).

Income

Violent crime rates increased as household income decreased in 1998 (U.S. Department of Justice: NCVS, July, 1999). Persons in households with incomes above $35,000 had the lowest victimization rates (31.7 per 1,000), compared to persons in households with incomes below $7,500, who experienced the highest violent crime rates (63.8 per 1,000).

Relationship of Offender to Victim

In 1998, about one-half of violent crime victims in the United States knew their offenders. Over 7 in 10 rape or sexual assault victims and 5 in 10 aggravated assault victims knew their offenders (U.S. Department of Justice: NCVS, July, 1999).

In addition, most murders involve young adults killing other young adults, or adults, usually parents, killing infants (Snyder & Sickmund, September 1999).

In two-thirds of child abuse/neglect cases, the parent is the abuser. Of the parents, the mother is the abuser more often than the father is. A boyfriend or girlfriend of the parent is the next likely perpetrator of abuse or neglect. A significant amount of abuse also occurs at the hands of a child's relative (Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services).

6. The City of Austin curfew ordinance applies to minors under 17 years of age. Curfew hours are 11:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on weeknights, 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on weekends, and 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays when school is in session.

7. The total is not equal to the total number of juveniles referred in 1999 due to missing data on location of residence.

8. Part of the reason for the differences between the general population and the population referred to Juvenile Probation may lie in the fact that minorities are more likely to be arrested than are white youth. See Barriers section for more information.

9. Percentages for the general population are estimated based upon population projections.

Demographic Profile

CRIME TRENDS

Use of Weapons

School Crime

Crime by Zip Code

OFFENDERS

Age

Gender

Ethnicity

VICTIMS

Age

Gender

Ethnicity

Income

Relationship of Offender to Victim