HPD chief announces decrease in Hispanics reporting rape and violent crimes compared to last year Acevedo cites deportation fears, criticizes rhetoric about immigration

Houston police chief Art Acevedo told reporters on April 5, 2017 that the department has found the number of Hispanics reporting rape is down 42.8 percent from last year. Click through the slideshow to see the most Hispanic cities in Texas. less Houston police chief Art Acevedo told reporters on April 5, 2017 that the department has found the number of Hispanics reporting rape is down 42.8 percent from last year. Click through the slideshow to see the ... more Photo: Brooke Lewis Photo: Brooke Lewis Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close HPD chief announces decrease in Hispanics reporting rape and violent crimes compared to last year 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

Against the backdrop of rising deportation fears among immigrants, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo disclosed Wednesday the department has found the number of Hispanics reporting rape is down 42.8 percent from last year, and those reporting other violent crimes has registered a 13 percent drop.

"When you see this type of data, and what looks like the beginnings of people not reporting crime, we should all be concerned," Acevedo said during a news conference at HPD headquarters. "A person that rapes or violently attacks or robs an undocumented immigrant is somebody that is going to harm a natural born citizen or lawful resident."

Acevedo said he frequently talks with members of the Hispanic community about their growing fear of reporting crime. He said Houston's status as the most diverse city in the country prompted him to alert the public about the latest statistics gathered by his department.

The police chief said the HPD analysis also showed an 8.2 percent increase of non-Hispanic victims reporting rapes and 11.7 percent increase of non-Hispanics telling police about violent crimes.

He did not elaborate on how the data was collected nor would he directly criticize the harsher rhetoric about immigration coming from the White House. He said the data was collected by HPD between January and March and was compared to the same time period last year.

Acevedo said based on conversations with other police chiefs and colleagues in other cities, the trend in Houston mirrors what is happening elsewhere.

Indeed, Houston is not the only city where a drop in crimes reported by Hispanics has been documented.

Los Angeles police, for instance, said last month their reports of crimes from Hispanics had also decreased. Reports of sexual assault have fallen 25 percent by Hispanics, and additionally reports of domestic violence have dropped by 10 percent compared with last year.

Acevedo emphasized the importance of enforcing laws with immigrant communities in a way that does not create fear.

Government agencies need "to do it in a manner that does not have a chilling effect on victims of violent crimes coming forward regardless of their immigration status," he said.

Elizabeth Theiss, president of Stop the Magnet, a political action committee that supports deportation of immigrants here illegally, said she also hopes Houston police focus their efforts on recognizing crimes committed by immigrants here without documentation.

"He's coming up with this," Theiss said of the chief. "I don't believe it for a minute. I believe the true evil is the crime that is buried by the media and ignored by our elected officials."

Acevedo said that Hispanics resist reporting being victims of crimes for fear of themselves being taken into custody by immigration authorities. He wants Hispanic communities, in particular, to feel safe approaching local police despite the rising rhetoric surrounding immigrants.

"We are not ICE agents and we are not interested in being ICE agents," he said.

He stressed that he hears the anxiety expressed by the Hispanic immigrant community, but encourages them to come forward.

"I would ask them and to urge them not to worry about political rhetoric or political debate, but pay close attention to what's happening in our city," Acevedo said. "Don't worry about what's going on at the national level, focus on what's going on here. This relationship, this police department."