Mesquite, TX – October 18, 2018 – Mesquite residents have known for some time that their community has appreciated a 30-year low in overall crime, now they can feel safer as the Mesquite Police Department releases new facts. After comparing the results of their crime prevention efforts, the department confirmed a 45 percent decrease in residential burglaries from July to September of 2018 compared to the same three months in 2015. There was also a 26 percent reduction in overall robberies during the first nine months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.
Police Chief Charles Cato said, “Mesquite remains a safe community. We are reducing crimes of opportunities each day. Moreover, violent crimes remain low. The most current F.B.I. statistics shows violent crimes increased nationally by more than four percent. However, this community experienced less than a one percent increase last year.” He went on to explain that 90 percent of crimes committed in Mesquite are property crimes, with about 10 percent being violent crimes. Approximately two-thirds of violent crime victims, which include murder and aggravated assault, know their attacker and this fact tends to involve domestic incidents.
The department has implemented many successful programs. These include the Safe Exchange Zone in front of the Police Department, Drive Like Your Family Lives Here, the 20-4-7 neighborhood awareness initiative and Take Lock Hide to reduce burglary of vehicles. Citizens have played a huge role in reducing crime. The Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association, strong neighborhood groups and an active social media network have been key to the successes. Chief Cato said, “Our officers are aggressively preventing crimes by addressing trends and being proactive. The professionalism of our department and citizen participation has resulted in crime reductions. That is a fact that we are very proud of, and so should our community.”