{"id":668657,"date":"2026-03-20T07:45:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T07:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/668657\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T07:45:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T07:45:19","slug":"how-has-san-antonios-violent-crime-plan-worked-at-this-east-side-complex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/668657\/","title":{"rendered":"How has San Antonio\u2019s violent crime plan worked at this East Side complex?"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 When Albino Cruz moved into the Rosemont at Highland Park Apartments in 2024, he quickly had second thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cSecond week was nothing but gunshots \u2014 about three or four times in one month,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI almost moved out because I didn\u2019t think it was like that. The apartments, they look nice on the outside, but it\u2019s the people that live on the inside. You never know.”<\/p>\n

But he says things have changed since then. In his back corner of the complex, \u201cyou don\u2019t hear no more gunshots \u2014 maybe in the front.” <\/p>\n

The apartment complex, owned and managed by Opportunity Home San Antonio on Rigsby Avenue, near the intersection with Clark Avenue, could be seen as a sign of progress under its violent crime reduction plan.<\/p>\n

San Antonio has been following the violent crime reduction plan, designed by University of Texas at San Antonio criminologists, since 2023.<\/p>\n

At a Public Safety Committee meeting Tuesday, council members heard that violent street crime \u2014 non-family violence-related cases of murders, robberies, aggravated assaults and deadly conduct \u2014 was down 21% across the city in 2025 compared to the year before, and down 9.5% in the three years since starting the plan, compared to the three years before. <\/p>\n

But how does progress look at a more local level?<\/p>\n

Much of the efforts so far have revolved around tackling \u201chot spots\u201d of violent crime with either highly visible police presence or having the street crimes or covert units focus on the people suspected of driving crime in the area. The extra attention lasts for 60 days at a time, and the 2025 statistics<\/a> showed even bigger drops in crime in those areas.<\/p>\n

That tactic is just \u201cphase one\u201d of the plan, though. The city has also taken two stabs so far at \u201cphase two,\u201d what the plans calls \u201cproblem-oriented place based policing.\u201d <\/p>\n

The approach calls for focusing attentions on reducing violence and the underlying conditions that create violent places. <\/p>\n

Maria Vargas-Yates, director of the city\u2019s Integrated Community Safety Office, said the underlying principle is \u201cto improve the quality of life at the locations, connect residents to services they need, whether it\u2019s job and education training, youth activity engagement for their children, emergency needs, such as if they\u2019re being evicted, or if they are having issues at the location, such as code issues that they like help addressing.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Rosemont was the first location chosen for the approach, with treatment starting in June 2024. <\/p>\n

Parked in the complex\u2019s lot midday Thursday, SAPD SAFFE Officer Robert Dupee has been through the entire process, from early hot spot policing to the relative calm of the complex now. <\/p>\n

The area went from \u201c35 to 40 calls a weekend to two within a few months once I started making my presence known, making other officers\u2019 presence known, putting it out there saying, \u2018Hey, dog watch officers, we need you out here. Start driving around,\u2019\u201d Dupee said. <\/p>\n

Phase two included using street crime and undercover officers in \u201cblacked out\u201d vehicles trying to catch people \u201cdoing no good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

There are also SAPD cameras on site, but it\u2019s not only about security through police action.<\/p>\n

A UTSA report<\/a> from February 2025 lays out other steps, like fixed lighting and fencing, and holding community events on the property.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we started getting animal control out here, CPS out here, all the other entities out here, and utilizing the resources that we have on our side, on the city side \u2014 and then also having that management and their legal team to work with the evictions of the people that needed to be evicted and those issues \u2014 once that started, it just blew up,\u201d Dupee said.<\/p>\n

The same UTSA report noted decreases in violent offenses, all calls for service, calls for service for trespasses, and calls for service for violent offenses at the property from June to December of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. <\/p>\n

However, the report found the number of family violence incidents and victims associated with family violence increased.<\/p>\n

UTSA has not yet released<\/a> a final report for 2025.<\/p>\n

In his presentation the Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, the plan\u2019s co-author, UTSA professor Michael Smith, told council members the plan\u2019s strategies are not targeted at family violence.<\/p>\n

Dupee sees the Rosemont as a success, crediting it to a \u201ccombined effort\u201d between police, city entities, and the property management.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it can stay beautiful as long as everybody cares. Once they stop caring, you\u2019re going to see that riffraff come back,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

The city plans to launch \u201cphase three\u201d of its crime plan by the end of the year \u2014 a \u201ccarrot and stick\u201d approach for engaging with repeat violent offenders.<\/p>\n

On one hand, they would be offered help accessing benefits and services. On the other, Vargas-Yates said, would be the city \u201cworking with all of our resources to ensure it\u2019s a swift and appropriately severe punishment\u201d if they commit another crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s up to them to make a choice,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to present them a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city is working to identify a nonprofit partner to provide some of the services. Staff is considering proposals now and will present recommendations to council members in late April.<\/p>\n

The city expects to begin any contracts in June and start its \u201cfocused deterrence\u201d program in late 2026.<\/p>\n

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