APD: Crime down in West Campus
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For many University of Texas students, the thought of getting victimized is not a major concern.
"I see cops scattered around West Campus so I think they are doing their job," UT Junior Yobani Lopez said.
Police say there is a reason things have been quiet in the student-packed area. On Monday, Assistant Police Chief Raul Mungia told the city’s Public Safety Commission efforts to help reduce crime are working.
"As we've watched our numbers, the property numbers have been dropping in those areas because we have been focusing on it,” Mungia said. "Last year, we had a 36 percent drop in property crimes in the West Campus area, and the prior year to that, we had almost an 11 percent drop."
If current trends continue, APD predicts violent crime could be down as much as 25 percent.
"We've had some good luck the last couple of years,” Mungia said.
More than just luck, students believe community efforts are paying off.
"Anytime anything does happen my apartment complex is really good at putting out flyers and letting us know to look out for this person," UT senior Loren Canales said.
Final crime statistics for Austin are expected to be out after the first of the year.