The City of El Paso ranks lower in violent crime than many regional cities of similar size, according to new FBI figures released in late May. The murder rate of 5 for every 100,000 people places the city 18th among 23 Texas cities with populations over 100,000. In 1996 there were only 30 reported murders in the City, 245 reported rapes and 1,195 robberies. Reported rapes and robberies have risen slightly over 1995 figures from 242 and 1,076 respectively, while reported murders have declined from 37 in 1995.
These figures are in stark contrast to the violence rate just across the border in Ciudad Juarez, where there have been 100 reported murders during the first 6 months of 1997 alone, a rate of 18 murders per 100,000 or more than 3 times the 1996 rate of its neighbor to the north, El Paso. According to an El Paso Times interview with El Paso Police Department spokesperson, Al Velarde on that city's lower crime rate, he characterised the Juarez murder rate as "outrageous" and stated that the entire area is in a drug corridor. A Diario de Juarez article stated that there have been 33 reported drug overdoses in the city so far this year.
Other verifiable statistics on crime in Juarez have been difficult to locate, but according to published information used in a May FNS story, Juarez Mayor Ramon Galindo stated that the armed robbery rate of businesses in Juarez has declined in March 1997 to 34 robberies per month down from a high of 84 robberies in March of 96. While this rate is apparently just crimes against businesses, it is a rate far below the El Paso 1996 rate of 1,195 robberies or nearly 100 per month.
The population of El Paso is estimated at 660,000 and the population of Ciudad Juarez is estimated at 1,100,000.
Sources: El Paso Times, Diario de Juarez, INEGI on-line statistics