San Antonio sees 6% drop in crime, sharp decline in homicides – San Antonio Report

San Antonio sees 6% drop in crime, sharp decline in homicides  San Antonio Report

New SAPD data shows overall crime declined through September, despite increases in assaults, human trafficking and kidnapping. New data from the San Antonio Police Department shows an overall decline in crime of 6.1% during the first nine months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, while homicides have fallen 36.5%. SAPD reported 98,363 offenses between January and September, down from 104,760 offenses recorded during the same period in 2025. The decline was largely driven by a 10% reduction in property crimes, including motor vehicle theft, burglary and robbery. While the numbers are down overall, crimes against people increased by 1.5%, including a rise in assaults, human trafficking and kidnapping or abduction offenses reported by SAPD.

Human trafficking offenses saw a sharp increase of 41.7%, with 17 reported cases compared to 12 in 2025. Kidnapping and abduction offenses saw an even larger jump of 57.5%, with 63 reported cases compared to 40 last year. But SAPD Chief Jesse Salame told the City Council’s Public Safety Committee on Tuesday that the increases in human trafficking and kidnapping offenses were largely attributable to the department’s participation in a multiagency law enforcement operation earlier this year. Operation Lightning Bug II, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service and other local, state and federal agencies in August, located 45 missing and endangered