Crime is trending down in San Antonio since its peak in 2023, but some crime types are still on the rise. 

Last year, the crime rate in the city was 8,986 incidents per 100,000 residents, according to an Express-News analysis of data from the San Antonio Police Department. That’s down 13% from the 2023 peak, which was 10,342 incidents per 100,000 residents.

Lizzandra Trevino, a spokesperson for the San Antonio Police Department, said in an email that the department targets specific hotspots identified through data and works with community partners to reduce crime. In 2023, the department launched the Violent Crime Reduction Plan.

“Since then, we have seen a steady reduction in violent crime,” Trevino said.

According to the Express-News analysis, rates of murder, robbery, and aggravated assault are down, but some other crime rates have increased in the last five years.

Curfew, loitering and vagrancy violations saw the largest percentage increase from 2021 to 2025, growing by almost 125%. Shoplifting rose nearly 42% and drug and narcotic violations increased 25% from 2021 to 2025. Property damage ended slightly above its 2021 rate.

The Police Department said it has a Retail Crimes Detail that works closely with retail partners to target shoplifting and that it deploys task forces at specific times throughout the year. 

Along with violent crime, other categories declined over the last few years. 

Car thefts drove much of the decline from the 2023 peak. After nearly doubling between 2021 and 2023, the car theft rate fell back to 641 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2025, roughly where it stood four years earlier.

Since 2021, thefts from cars had the largest drop, falling from about 1,400 incidents per 100,000 residents to just under 900.

Intimidation and aggravated assault also decreased during the four years.

Despite a decline in the crime rate overall, simple assault remained the crime with the highest rate in 2025, followed by thefts from cars, property damag, car thefts and shoplifting. 

The Police Department said simple assaults often stem from disputes or disturbances that can escalate quickly. 

“The Department addresses these incidents through visible patrols, rapid response, follow-up investigations, and prevention efforts by connecting victims to resources when appropriate,” Trevino said.