01/01
By United Press International
   While Dallas, Houston, and Austin homicide detectives looked back
at a year in which murders declined, the year saw a record set in
San Antonio and officers do not know exactly why.
   Houston police report 506 homicides, the fewest slayings since
1988, when the nation's fourth largest city reported 465. Police
statistics show the record is 701 killings in 1981. A spokesman said
extra patrols initiated early this year may have had an effect on
the number of killings.
   Police spokesman Rick Hartley said, "We'd like to think it can be
attributed to the overtime programs. But as people in law
enforcement will tell you, it's very difficult to pinpoint what type
of impact the increased patrols have on homicides."
   Using scheduled overtime, an extra 655 Houston officers were
placed on duty during the first few months of the year.
   Dallas officers were pleased that the number of homicides in the
city failed to break 400. The all time high of 501 was set in 1991,
but  "this year, when all the statistics are in, it will be
390-something," a homicide detecetive said.
   San Antonio's 1992 murder toll set a record with 221 recorded.
The old record was 218, set in 1990. A police official said the
previous record was broken on Christmas morning.
   Capt. Gilbert Sandoval, head of the police department's violent
crime division, said, however, the average citizen on the street is
not in any immediate danger.
   Sandoval said, "Most people murdered knew their assailants, and
many placed themselves in dangerous situations."
   He blamed the economy, drugs, alcohol, and gang involvement as
some of the reasons the city's murder rate is at a record-breaking
high.
   Police spokesman Lt. Ralph Swearingen said Fort Worth's toll will
be lower this year.
   Swearin gen said, "It's going to be down, probably less than 160,
while last year it was 190 plus." He said the record year for Fort
Worth was 1986, when the homicide total was more than 200.
   While Austin is not that much smaller than Fort Worth, only 37
homicides were recorded in 1992.
   Questioned about the city's low rate, Karen Vallero of the police
department's homicide division said, "I've heard comments that we're
down because we had a drug task force on the streets for a while,
and many murders are drug related."
   Vallero said the city's all-time high was 84 homicides in 1984.