Crime drops even as Round Rock grows

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) - As a city grows, so does its crime rate, right?

Not necessarily.

Take the example set by Round Rock, which straddles the line separating Travis County from Williamson County.

Round Rock is among the nation's fastest-growing cities, according the recently unveiled Census figures. And the Texas Department of Public Safety now ranks Round Rock the No. 2 large city when it comes to falling crime rates.

The rate fell by 18.2 percent during the past two years.

City leaders said residents have a culture of wanting a safe community. They are active in public events and have a sense of knowing their neighbors. Police Chief Tim Ryle said his department is routinely out in the community and encouraging their people to trust and reach out to them.

"A police officer's job is a complex, demanding job," Ryle said. "So that relationship with the community is important for them to be successful."

He said encourages his officers to spread the word, asking people to get involved, to report crime or to tip them off about suspicious activities.

"The community wants to be safe," Ryle said. "When I say wants to be safe, they have to be in full support of that idea, that concept. They have to do that by not tolerating crime."

Round Rock is second only to McAllen as having the biggest drop in crime during the last two years. Mayor Alan McGraw has seen the crime drop first-hand. He said part of their success is creating opportunities for people to get to know each other.

"I think that's one of the things they're looking at, that Round Rock is year after year after year one of the safest places to live," the mayor said. "Therefore, it just gets ingrained in the culture."

Sibyl Gelman said she's always heard it was safe. And she likes the small-town feeling with plenty of things to keep her family busy.

"It's very family-oriented," said Gelman, "There are a lot of community activities, a lot of stuff to do, good shopping, good restaurants. And the housing is very affordable."