3 May 2012
According to statistics provided to the FBI by the Austin Police Department, crime in the city is down in just about every category between 2010 and 2011. The Austin PD preliminary Crime and Traffic Report for 2011 was released last week, and the results appear to be good news for all of us. The highlights of the report are as follows:
- Violent crime down 9%.
- Property crime fell 8%.
- Murders down 29%.
- Rapes down by 20%.
- Auto theft fell by 10%.
- Traffic fatalities slightly higher by 2%.
- Traffic fatalities involving a driver impaired by alcohol down by 60%.
A detailed reading of the report indicates further that not only did the major crime categories (violent crime and property crime) experience a decline over the past year, the subcategories likewise showed a decrease. In the case of violent crime, that includes murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. For property crimes, the grouping covers theft, burglary and auto theft. And while traffic fatalities rose 2%, those involving DWI decreased by a whopping 60%. So far, so good.
What caught our eye was not so much the welcome news that there is a trend toward a reduction in crime; rather, we were struck by the information in the report regarding the “solving” of Austin crimes.
When is a Crime Solved?
Toward the end of the report, there is a short section entitled “Solving Crime.” A couple of things stand out: first, the rate of solved crimes is only 48% for violent crimes and 12% for property crimes; second, we were nonplussed by the definition of the word “solved.”
On the latter point, the report says that crimes are solved, or cleared, in one of two ways. In some circumstances, through the death of the alleged perpetrator, the unavailability of the alleged offender due to his absence from this jurisdiction and the inability to extradite, or the refusal of a witness to cooperate, the cased is marked as cleared “by exception.” The bulk of the cases, however, are “solved” by the alleged offender’s arrest.
Isn’t something missing here? We know that in our criminal justice system, all defendants are innocent until proven guilty. The fact that you have been arrested is proof of just that fact, i.e., that you have been arrested. What about the indictments that are thrown out or that are simply not returned? And how about the cases that are dismissed, or where the jury, or the judge, finds that the defendant is not guilty?
That’s where we come in. We know that our clients are not guilty unless and until they are found to be so by a court of law. If you have been charged with a crime, contact an experienced Austin criminal defense lawyer who will fight for your rights every step of the way.
Law Office of David D. White, PLLC
1205 Rio Grande Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 369-3737