Over the weekend, Wooten residents heard sirens and saw multiple police cars in the northern part of the neighborhood, raising curiosity about potential concerns.
The Wooten Neighborhood Association (WNA) contacted our Austin Police Department (APD) District Representative for information. They quickly provided resources to help us find details and where we can get overall statistics.
Dashboards!
Last year, APD created various dashboards, mandated by the City Council, that offer statistics on 911 calls, including average response times and incidents, and on cadets in training. A crime dashboard was also created and data can be viewed by type, council district, and sector (Ida and Baker for Wooten).
These dashboards provide detailed information but are not real-time or specific to our neighborhood, as Wooten is split into two APD sectors. For localized data, APD offers Crime Viewer. This web mapping tool allows you to search for reported crimes in Wooten using the “Neighborhood Association” option.
Crime Viewer includes specific Part I crimes (e.g., murder, robbery) and Part II crimes. Keep in mind that the data reflects calls resulting in formal reports and may include unfounded offenses. APD recommends not relying solely on statistics, as they can create misleading impressions. APD also advises that residents should not rely solely on these statistics, as they can lead to false impressions. For example, locations near shopping centers or commercial properties may appear to have high crime rates simply due to minor incidents, such as shoplifting.