Go tell it on the (tourism) mountain: Crime drops in Laredo according to LPD



Yes, yes I know crime's down but keep that money coming!

 With good news for the City of Laredo sometimes coming as seldom as a cold day in May, I'm sure Mayor Salinas will be out in force (can 1 person be out in force?) proclaiming the latest statistics showing that crime in the Gateway City is down. The amount of good PR that can be harnessed from this cannot be overlooked. After all, you don't waste water during a drought do you? Oh, I forgot about the fracking industry. In any event, I'm sure the Mayor and the LCVB are working on how they'll incorporate this welcomed news into their talking points and are probably getting that memo out to everyone at this very moment. What's that? Someone stole the copier??

From the Laredo Morning Times

While the crime rate in many cities across the nation went up last year, Laredo’s didn’t follow suit, with crime in some categories going down. That’s according to the Laredo Police Department’s 2010 annual report, released Tuesday.

Detailing statistics back to 2008, the comprehensive report provides information showing a decrease in auto thefts, crimes against property cases, murders, robberies, juvenile arrests and thefts.The report lists increases in burglaries and cases assigned to the special investigations unit. Steady numbers were reported for aggravated assaults, rape and cases assigned to the narcotics and vice division.

In May 2010, a report issued by the National Insurance Crime Bureau listed Laredo as the No. 1 auto theft hot spot in the nation, surpassing Modesto, Calif., which had held the distinction. In all, 328 cars were recovered and 107 criminal arrests were made in connection with auto thefts in 2010.

Working to dispel the auto theft title, Investigator Jose E. Baeza, Laredo Police Department spokesperson, said the department is doing more with what it has by initiating targeted operations and increasing visibility at international bridges. The report lists an almost 40 percent decrease in the number of stolen vehicles, from 1,482 in 2009 to 951 in 2010. “Since we’re always being showcased because of auto theft, given our proximity to the border, this is pretty big,” Baeza said, adding that LPD saw two major auto theft rings taken down last year. "We did not add more staff,” he said.