BEAUMONT, Texas — Both community members and law enforcement expressed growing frustration with the recent spike in violent crime across Beaumont.
The city saw four homicides in the last two weeks of November, one of the deadliest months in Beaumont this year, along with a handful of robberies.
Although it may seem like things are getting worse, the numbers tell a different story. Officials said it is important to take a hard look at the numbers to put it all into perspective.
Residents across Beaumont have various opinions about crime.
"I won't move back to Beaumont, it's too much going on," Renas Judge said.
"It's getting bad, it's pretty bad," Jordan Sam said. "You need to be on guard out here, it's a shame."
Sam's brother Ron Guillory was killed in a robbery at the Timberlake Courts Apartments. He said the tragedy changed his perspective.
"I read about all the stuff happening on the news, I read it and keep going, but when it happen at your house, it's like woo - this is real," he said.
The reality is that Beaumont is on pace to surpass the total homicides from 2019.
According to 12News records, there were 18 homicides last year in Beaumont. In 2020, there have been 17.
But Beaumont Police said crime overall has decreased from the mid-80s to now.
"We don't live in a perfect world, but at the same time, we can't go around saying it's the worst it's ever been," Beaumont Police Assistant Chief Jim Clay said.
Clay provided data that suggests crime has actually been going down in the last 30 years.
"You hear too much about, 'It's the worst it's ever been,' or 'It's so bad,' and we're like, 'No, it's not,'" he said. "Actually, property crime has decreased quite a bit and even the violent crime is not near what it was 25 years ago."
Beaumont had 40 homicides back in 1994. The closest the city has gotten to that was in 2014, with just over 30 murders.
Since 2008, property crimes like burglaries and theft have decreased, but violent crimes like murder and assaults have slightly increased over the last four years.
"Unfortunately, we can't stop every crime that occurs by being visible," Clay said. "Hopefully we can deter some crime from occurring."
This sentiment is also felt by many across the community.
"It's just a bunch of sadness, y'all need to cut it out here," Judge said.
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