NCJ Number
70941
Date Published
1979
Length
75 pages
Annotation
Texas crime and clearance data for calendar year 1979 are presented in this Uniform Crime Report.
Abstract
The report was compiled from data submitted by 709 sheriffs and chiefs of police whose jurisdictions represented 99.3 percent of the State's population. Tables, charts, and graphs provide a variety of information on Index offenses. In summary, a total of 790,127 Index offenses were reported. Violent crimes composed 8.7 percent of the total and represented a 20 percent increase over those reported in 1978. Murder accounted for 0.3 percent of the violent crimes, rape for 0.8 percent, robbery for 3.3 percent, and aggravated assault for 4.3 percent. Property crimes composed the remaining 91.3 percent of the total; these crimes increased 9 percent over the previous year. Burglary accounted for 33 percent of all property offenses, larceny theft for 57 percent, and motor vehicle theft for 10 percent. Law enforcers cleared by arrest or exceptional clearance 21.5 percent of all Index offenses reported to them; 52.5 percent of the violent crimes and 18.6 percent of the property crimes were cleared. About 73 percent of the murder offenses were solved, 52 percent of forcible rapes, 34 percent of robberies, 65 percent of aggravated assaults, 15 percent of burglaries, 20 percent of larceny thefts, and 230 percent of motor vehicle thefts. Persons under the age of 18 were offenders in 19.5 percent of the cases solved. The report contains definitions of the Index offenses, information on crime factors, a history of Uniform Crime reporting, and details about the State's reporting system.