Major crimes in Round Rock decreased 18 percent in 2011 compared to 2010, a fact that helped keep the City on the list of the safest communities nationally and in Texas.

The City saw the number of major crimes – murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny (theft), and motor vehicle theft – fall from 3,132 to 2,559. The drop largely stems from a decline in thefts, as well as burglaries and vehicle thefts.

The crime data are relevant now because CQ Press recently released its annual analysis of crime statistics, City Crime Rankings 2013: Crime in Metropolitan America.

For the second consecutive year, Round Rock ranked No. 2 safest among Texas cities with a population of at least 100,000, according to the CQ Press analysis. For all U.S. cities with a population greater than 100,000, Round Rock ranks 16th-safest.

“It’s truly amazing that the number of crimes fell in a year when Round Rock was the second fastest growing city in the country,” Mayor Alan McGraw said. “That we saw the actual number of major crimes decrease – by a significant percentage – is testament to the excellence of the men and women in our Police Department.”

The CQ Press study looks at six of the seven major or “Part 1” crime categories reported to the FBI. It excludes larceny. The rankings include all cities of at least 75,000 residents that reported crime data to the FBI in the categories noted for calendar year 2011.

Looking at just the categories in the study, Round Rock experienced a 4 percent drop in crime from 2010 to 2011.

“This kind of recognition really reflects on the entire community, not just the Police Department,” Chief Tim Ryle said. “We continue to see the success of our proactive approaches to crime control which are centered on our partnership with the community. It’s a real team effort.”