A review of the FBI’s latest crime reports (2012) found the City of Irving’s violent crime rates ranked substantially below the national average and listed the city fifth safest in the nation. That’s according to a Business Insider recent report.
According to the report, which included cities with populations more than 200,000, Irving had a murder rate 72% below average; rape rate 55% below average; and robbery rate 47% below average.
“We restructured our organization around specific goals several years ago to improve and maximize performance. I think these results underscore the need to apply a multi-departmental approach to reducing crime,” said Irving City Manager Tommy Gonzalez.
Over the last seven years, that approach has decreased Irving’s overall crime rate by 35%, with violent crime dropping 41%.
“The Irving Police and the Code Enforcement Departments joined forces several years ago to crack down on crime infested areas. We demolished 30 run-down properties that included apartment complexes and hotels. Dealing with our substandard properties made Irving less attractive for criminal activity,” said Larry Boyd, Irving Chief of Police. “By concentrating our efforts, taking swift and sweeping action, along with working to build strong neighborhoods, we significantly reduced crime and made Irving safer for everyone.”
Irving is the second city in the nation and the first in the State of Texas to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (2012) as well as the first municipality in Texas’ history to receive the Texas Award for Performance Excellence (2011). Irving is the 13th largest city in the state with 217,000 residents and is home to the largest office park in North Texas, where a number of Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered.
