FortBendNow.com

Despite large drops in violent crimes in Missouri City, property crimes are up, an occurrence police say is common during economic downturns.

Crime statistics for 2009 indicate that murders went from four in 2008 to two in 2009, aggravated robberies dropped by 10 percent from 101 to 90, aggravated assaults dropped from 87 to 64, vehicle thefts went from 100 to 66 and arsons from 17 to 11.

Missouri City Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald said the jump from no murders in 2007 to four in 2008 was a leading cause of the city dropping from number 22 to number 78 in the 2009 City Crime Rankings, which lists America’s “safest cities.” Police made an arrest in all four 2008 murders.

The murders in 2009 included a case in June where a 27-year old man was found shot in the head in his car outside of a home his parent’s were building gin the 7600 block of Cicada. That case is still open and no arrests have been made.

The second murder involved a resident walking in on a home burglary, struggling with a suspect, and shooting him with a gun the resident had inside his house.

Despite the drop in violent crime, the city experienced an overall 3 percent increase in crime due to a 17 percent rise in burglaries from 334 to 391 and a 9 percent increase in theft, from 891 to 972.

“Many of these crimes are crimes of opportunity, with more people home, more juveniles involving themselves in that type of theft, people leaving their cars open, items left in conspicuous placed,” said Fitzgerald. “When it comes to burglaries, when you have a community of working class people who leave their homes every day, it makes it even more important that I get officers in the neighborhoods, riding around every day.”

Fitzgerald, who came to the department in April of last year, said this year the department will focus on bringing down the property crime rate, as well as implementing some new programs and expanding existing ones.

“I put a lot on myself, and I want the burglaries to come down,” said Fitzgerald. “We are a city of rooftops and a city of neighborhoods, so the important thing is to get the police officers back into the community. It’s great to be doing a good job, but I want to be doing the best job possible.

Since taking the helm, Fitzgerald has implemented 10-hour shifts, which eliminates the previous 10 or 15 minute window where there were no officers on the streets due to shift change.

“I identified that quickly as a problem,” said Fitzgerald. “We noticed there were certain crimes that happened during the difference in shifts changing.”

He also plans to create a cold case squad to take advantage if advances in technology to review and further investigate older, unsolved crimes.

Officers have been directed to be more “neighborhood oriented” and a program has been established where officers work with Homeowners Associations. Officers attend HOA meetings and advise participants of recent crimes in the area and listen to neighborhood concerns.

“It builds a sort of accountability for the officers,” said Fitzgerald. “If a supervisor is told there is a problem in a particular community, he has to go back to the people in that community and tell them what he has done.”

Fitzgerald said he has also responded to neighborhoods asking for police on bike patrol, and plans to increase their presence throughout the year.

He said the department has been using more unmarked cars and undercover officers to help combat some of the property crimes, especially car burglaries that are common along Hwy. 6.

The department in 2009 completed a state recognition program, which makes their department one of 18 in the state to be recognized by meeting the standards of the Texas Police Chiefs Association.

“It just really does put us up there in the eyes of all of Texas as one of the few agencies that have this,” said Fitzgerald. “It also helps keep us up to date.”

He has also initiated a proactive anti-gang program aimed at elementary school students. Community Liaison Officer Dan Flagg regularly visits schools to present a program with an anti-gang message, along with handing out T-shirts that have been sponsored by charitable organizations.

At the end of the school year, teachers will identify students that have done well or made the biggest improvement, and a local children’s entertainment venue has donated free use of their facilities on a Saturday for the chosen students.

“Right now it is being received very well,” said Fitzgerald.