Despite a large increase in robberies, the overall violent crime rate in Sugar Land is down, mainly due to a significant decrease in aggravated assaults.
Robberies increased from 43 in 2008 to 61 in 2009. Officials said that many of the robberies were instances where shoplifting escalated into a confrontation with store employees, which changes the crime from a theft to a robbery.
A slight overall increase in crime in Sugar Land is due to several non-violent crime categories such as shoplifting and vehicle burglaries, according to the Sugar Land Police Department’s 2009 Annual Report. The city’s crime rate increased from 23.68 in 2008 to 24.68 in 2009.
Violent crime in Sugar Land decreased 11 percent during 2009 and investigative clearance rates improved by 4.7 percent. Sugar Land’s violent crime rate in 2009 was 1.38 per capita, down from 1.55 in 2008. The state’s violent crime rate is 5.08 per capita and the nation’s is 4.55.
“There’s been a perception in the community fueled by a few high-profile crimes that we are experiencing a sharp rise in crime,” said Police Chief Doug Brinkley. “The data clearly shows that our overall crime rate has remained mostly flat over the last several years. The slight increase we saw last year is due to several non-violent crime categories, including shoplifting and vehicle burglaries.”
Included in the “high-profile” crimes was the driveway robbery of Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson in November of 2009.
The armed robbery occurred in Thompson’s driveway as he returned home unusually early from a Sugar Land City Council meeting. Thompson says the man demanded money.
“I asked him to please calm down,” said Thompson at a press conference in November. He said he pulled out his money clip, dropping his credit cards on the ground. The suspect insisted Thompson had additional money, said Thompson, who gave him a small change box from the back of the car.
“He told me he was going to shoot me if I kept turning around and looking at him,” said Thompson.
The suspect then told Thompson to crawl under his own car, at which point Thompson said he felt like he might escape the situation without being shot. The suspect ran away, and Thompson crawled out from under his car, went inside and called police. Police have made no arrests.
The robbery was the second driveway robbery within a week, occurring days after a Nov. 11 driveway robbery in Meadow Lakes.
The police department also reported two home invasions where residents were tied up. On Dec. 23, a 17-year-old was tied up in her home in the 1200 block of Ashford Hollow and on Nov. 24 two residents were tied up in their home in the 100 block of Pipers Walk.
Sugar Land officials said that despite a public perception that crime was increasing in the area, driveway robberies and home invasions decreased from 2008. In 2008, the city reported seven driveway robberies in 2008 and five in 2009. Home invasions dropped from five in 2008 to four in 2009.
In October of last year, a SWAT standoff garnered media attention after 37-year-old Anthony Gilbert allegedly stabbed his week-old baby seven times in the chest. Earlier that week, the Rosenberg Police Department had issued a warrant for Gilbert’s arrest for sexual assault of a child. He is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old Terry High School student. Gilbert was a teacher at the school.
The annual report reports a 5.3 percent increase in property crimes. According to the report, 67 percent of burglaries were in residential areas, and 29 percent of the burglaries had no forced entry, meaning doors were unlocked. The majority of thefts involved vehicle burglaries and shoplifting.
Several police initiatives were implemented last year to address property crimes, including a partnership with retail districts and neighborhoods to encourage the use cameras for security purposes. SLPD also created a task force that focused exclusively on vehicle burglaries, shopper safety and public education.
“Our priority is to ensure our community is safe, and I believe we have effectively accomplished this through departmental priorities that include enforcement, partnerships, technology and quality staffing,” said Brinkley. “However, it’s also important that citizens feel safe, so we have developed a plan to more effectively communicate directly with our citizens.”
To ensure the distribution of accurate, timely information, SLPD officials said the department will focus additional resources toward the better distribution of crime data through direct communications with homeowner associations, SLtv 16, e-policing and the Crime Prevention Division.
