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Round Rock vehicle thefts on the rise
Round Rock used to be able to boast having low levels of vehicle thefts, but new data shows the trend is changing.
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock used to be able to boast about having low levels of vehicle thefts, but new data shows the trend is changing.
According to FBI data, Round Rock had about 40 vehicle thefts per 100,000 people in 2019, making it one of the lowest rates in the country.
Round Rock police data shows about 114 reports of stolen vehicles that year.
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New stats show decline in property crimes
Some good news in the fight against crime in central Texas: Statistics show crimes against property, including things like car break-ins, are on the decline in our area.
"I think they were probably accurate then," said Pam Barnett, who had her truck stolen in June.
When FOX 7 talked to Barnett in August, just after she had received her stolen truck back, she wasn't so sure Round Rock still had such a low vehicle theft statistic.
"I don't remember it ever being like this," said Barnett. "I mean every single day somebody is posting that something happened, and I don't know if it's slowed down since schools getting ready to start, so I don't know if there were young individuals involved or what it was, but because the neighborhoods are so close where the vehicles were taken I just feel like it was kind of a casing of the whole area."
According to Round Rock police data, Barnett is not imagining reports of vehicle thefts becoming more frequent.
In 2020, reported vehicle thefts lingered at 117. But in 2021, those numbers jumped to 171 and steadily increased to 181 in 2022.
By September 2023, Round Rock police said it had 192 reports.
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"The towing company said that like just within a year ago they would get maybe one to three calls a week of repossession of vehicles or stolen vehicles, and he said they do one to three a day now," said Barnett.
After having her truck stolen out of her driveway, Barnett has some suggestions for other Round Rock residents.
"I would say definitely have a camera that's on your driveway, have automatic lights that will come on, so that if somebody's walking across the driveway, they'll kind of flash on and give them a deterrent," said Barnett.
Locking your car doors and taking out any items of value are a few other ways you can try to prevent becoming a victim to vehicle theft.
FOX 7 reached out to Round Rock police for an interview but has not heard back.