2019 3rd Quarter Crime Report

2.3 Crimes Against Persons (NIBRS - Group A) Continued..

There were 30 Kidnapping/Abduction offenses in the Third Quarter of 2019 compared to 29 offenses in the Third Quarter of 2018, which is a increase of 3.4 percent. It is important to understand what is included in this count.

Kidnapping/Abduction is defined by the Na- tional Incident Based Reporting System as “the unlawful seizure, transportation, and/or detention of a person against his/her will or of a minor with- out the consent of his/her custodial parent or legal guardian.” The Texas Penal Code further divides this defini- tion into four categories: unlawful restraint, kidnap- ping, aggravated kidnapping, and unlawful transport. Please refer to Texas Penal Code Title 5, Chapter 20 for full definitions, but below are ab- breviated definitions of each:  Unlawful restraint: Intentionally or know- ingly [restraining] another person. Restrain: Restrict a person’s movements with- out consent, so as to interfere substantially with the person’s liberty, by moving the person from one place to another or by confining the person. Restraint without consent is accom-

plished if by force, intimidation, or deception or any means.

 Kidnapping : Intentionally or knowingly [abducting] another person … not coupled with intent to use or to threaten to use deadly force.  Aggravated Kidnapping : Intentionally or knowingly [abducting] another person with the intent [for example] to hold him for ransom or reward … use him as a shield or hos- tage...inflict bodily injury.  Unlawful Transport : For pecuniary benefit [transporting] an individual in a manner that is designed to conceal the individual from … law enforcement authorities … and [creating] a substantial likelihood that the individual will suffer serious bodily injury or death.

Of the 30 kidnapping offenses this quarter, 23 were unlawful restraints, 4 were kidnappings, and 3 aggravated kidnap- pings. In 20 percent of all cases, the victim knew the suspect, 33 percent were known to be domestic-related, and in 10 percent of the cases, the victim was dating or married to the suspect at the time of the incident. In the Third Quarter of 2019, overall forcible sex offenses decreased 8.1 percent from 234 in 2018 to 215. Forcible rape offenses increased 33.0 percent with 137 offenses in the Third Quarter of 2019 compared to 103 offenses in the Third Quarter of 2018. Of all forcible rape offenses, 29 percent were known offender-related , and 30 percent of all victims were 17 years of age or under. The Sex Crimes Unit did not identify any serial offenders in the Third Quarter of 2019. The Sex Crimes Unit continues the investigative process with the goal of bringing all perpetrators to justice. The “Other” forcible sex offense category includes forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling. These offenses decreased 40.5 percent from 131 offenses in the Third Quarter of 2018 to 78 offenses in the Third Quar- ter of 2019 and approximately 36 percent involved victims 17 years of age or under. In the Third Quarter of 2018, nonforcible sex offenses decreased 50 percent from 6 offenses in the Third Quarter of 2018 to 3 offenses in the Third Quarter of 2019. The majority of these offenses are considered statutory rape, which is defined as nonforcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent.

Figure 4 - 2017 to 2019 Citywide Crimes Against Persons

Crimes Against Persons

1,400

1,300

1,200

1,100

1,000

2017

2018

900

2019

800

700

600

500

Jan Feb Mar

Apr

May Jun Jul

Aug Sep Oct

Nov Dec

Section II - NIBRS

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Third Quarter (July - September) 2019 Crime Report

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