DPS data shows border cities are among the safest

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas Department of Public Safety released crime data for the 2024 calendar year, which shows that Brownsville and other cities on the border are among the safest in Texas compared to other major cities.

According to the report, cities such as Brownsville have lower rates of violent crimes compared to bigger cities. 

The report also shows cities such as McAllen, Brownsville, Laredo, and El Paso have fewer murders per capita than Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio.

Fewer robberies and aggravated assaults were shown on record for last year as well. 

Public Information Officer of the Brownsville Police Department, Abril Luna, says that from 2023 to 2024, there was a decrease in overall crime for the city of Brownsville. She said this is due in part to their efforts to engage with the community. 

“Whenever something does present itself, we tend to address it immediately. For example, motor vehicle theft, which we have struggled with a lot in 2024 and 2025. We’re seeing a lot less of it, but that is also thanks to the outreach that we do with the community. " Luna said.

"We tend to offer these programs where they can get a steering wheel club for their vehicles, and offer lots of preventative measures to be able to address it immediately."

Luna adds that she expects crime to drop even more this year in Brownsville, thanks to more resources and technology becoming available for the city. 

The data from DPS also shows that from 2023 to 2024, border areas like Brownsville and Hidalgo County showed an overall decrease in crime, while some areas in Central Texas, such as Williamson County, saw a jump in their rates.