East Texas Crime Rates Decline, New Data Shows

Rains County sees largest drop, Anderson County reports biggest increase

Mar. 15, 2026 at 9:49am

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Crime rates declined in most East Texas counties over the past year, according to newly released FBI data, though a handful of counties reported significant increases. Data from the Texas Department of Public Safety's Crime in Texas (CIT) Online Portal shows reported crime fell in 18 of the 28 East Texas counties between 2024 and 2025, with Rains County recording the largest decrease at 36.03%. Meanwhile, Anderson County saw the largest increase at 53.19%.

Why it matters

The changes in crime rates across East Texas highlight the complex and often localized nature of public safety trends. While some counties saw significant declines, others grappled with rising incidents, underscoring the need for targeted, data-driven approaches to addressing crime in the region.

The details

The CIT portal calculates each county's crime rate per 100,000 residents by dividing the total number of reported crimes by the county's population and multiplying the result by 100,000. This method allows for more accurate comparisons between counties with different population sizes. Anderson County Sheriff Rudy Flores attributed the spike in his county to reporting issues that occurred when the FBI transitioned from the Summary Reporting System (SRS) to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in 2021, saying the numbers are now more accurately reflecting actual crime levels.

  • The data covers the period from 2024 to 2025.

The players

Rudy Flores

Anderson County Sheriff.

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What they’re saying

“The spike does not necessarily reflect a sudden surge in crime. Instead, he said the change is largely tied to reporting issues that occurred when the FBI transitioned from the Summary Reporting System (SRS) to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in 2021.”

— Rudy Flores, Anderson County Sheriff (ktbb.com)

The takeaway

The data highlights the complex and often localized nature of public safety trends in East Texas, with some counties seeing significant declines in crime while others grappled with rising incidents. This underscores the need for targeted, data-driven approaches to addressing crime in the region.