Violent and property crime continue to decline in the Rundberg area, as David W. Springer, RGK Center Director and professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and School of Social Work, reported at a recent Restore Rundberg Revitalization Team meeting.
When comparing data from April 2012 to August of 2013 with that of one year later, April 2014 to August 2015, Springer reports that violent crime is down 4.5 percent and property crime has been reduced by fourteen percent, despite an annual population increase of about 2.5 percent in Austin (read full story and the research update).
Across the three hotspots targeted as part of the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program, the numbers are even more impressive. Violent crime is down fifteen percent and property crime has been reduced by eleven percent. It also should be noted that there have been no violent crimes committed while Austin Police Mobile Walking Beat officers have been deployed in the hotspot areas.
“The reductions in violent and property crimes are very promising and reflect the collective efforts of the Austin Police Department and the community in their ongoing work toward revitalizing the Rundberg area,” said Springer, who leads the research team at The University of Texas at Austin. “Community members report feeling safer and more attached to their neighborhood. Community policing and community engagement are key to the sustainability of this collaborative effort.”
The research team will continue to sustain Restore Rundberg efforts throughout the next year with activities including place-based analysis, community surveys, and the development of a replication guide.
Restore Rundberg is a partnership between the community, the Austin Police Department, The University of Texas at Austin, the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). By focusing on criminal hot-spot areas within Rundberg, this multidisciplinary team uses innovative methodologies to reduce crime and to engage community members in voicing their needs and considerations for the future of their neighborhood development.
Listen to a KUT story about Restore Rundberg.
By Melissa Galusky. Posted December 7, 2015.