FORT WORTH, Texas — A recently released report shows what crime trends are happening in Fort Worth -- one of the country's fastest-growing metropolitan cities.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes released his department's "3rd Quarter Crime Report". It compares the first nine months of 2022 to this year. There are some improvements in certain crime areas, but others are worse compared to last year.
The report comes as no surprise to longtime Fort Worth resident Marie Love. She's lived in the same District 8 neighborhood for 50 years.
"We have had people steal things off your porch," said Love.
She loves her neighborhood, but recent crime has forced her to get more involved in keeping her neighborhood safe -- especially after how it felt when her home was burglarized.
"It made me feel violated," Love said. "They took my new riding lawnmower, all my Christmas decorations and numerous of my planning things."
Burglaries are part of FWPD's 3rd quarter crime report, comparing this year to last year and laying out the department's focus.
Fort Worth Officer Buddy Calzada serves as a spokesperson for the department. He attributes some of the higher numbers to more intense police work and more reports.
"We focused on the most violent criminals in these communities and along with that, we have to build a relationship with the community," said Calzada.
The report shows aggravated assaults are up 2.1%, robbery is up 4.3%, all while burglary and breaking and entering incidents went down by 5.4%.
Some patrol areas get help with their crime-fighting efforts. People, like Fred White, volunteer their time doing neighborhood patrols. They help report suspicious activity and people who may be up to no good.
White, a Code Blue Citizen Patrol worker, recruits people in District 11. Ironically, most of the homicides in the first nine months in Fort Worth happened in his district.
The crime report also shows homicide is down 15.6% from last year, dropping from 32% to 26%. Still, the most homicides happened in White's district.
"I patrol the east division in my area," White said. "So when the crime goes up, that means I need to get on my hustle a little bit more often and a little bit faster."
Love is already planning her neighborhood's next crime watch meeting with help from their FWPD neighborhood resource officer. She shared advice for other people concerned about crime in their area.
"Be vigilant about what their surroundings are," said Love.