Maverick County Crime Statistics Decrease in Significant Categories

By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

As Maverick County Commissioners Court weighs the 2026-2027 fiscal year budget, the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department in collaboration with city, state and federal law enforcement agencies have reduced the overall crime statistics in the U. S.-Mexico border county.

According to crime statistics published by the Texas Department of Public Safety suggest reported crime has moved in a positive direction over the past two years.

Overall offenses have declined significantly since reaching a recent peak in 2023.

However, with Maverick County considering a reduction of close to $600,000 from the Sheriff’s Office budget, questions remain about whether those gains can be maintained with fewer resources.

Maverick County recorded 1,390 offenses in 2022, representing a crime rate of 2,371.2 offenses per 100,000 residents.
That number climbed in 2023, when 1,648 offenses were reported and the crime rate reached 2,844.7 per 100,000 residents. The trend reversed in 2024, when the county recorded 1,462 offenses and a rate of 2,505.4.

By 2025, reported offenses had fallen to 1,251 and the crime rate had dropped to 2,126.7 per 100,000 residents.

That represents an approximately 24 percent reduction from the 2023 peak. Compared with 2022, reported offenses were down approximately 10 percent.

Property crime showed some of the largest improvements.
Burglaries decreased from 334 in 2022 to 175 in 2025, a reduction of approximately 48 percent. Larceny and theft fell from 766 offenses to 505, while motor vehicle theft dropped from 135 cases to 59.

Reported rape offenses declined from 16 to seven, while robberies decreased from 16 to 11.

Homicides remained relatively low but fluctuated because of the small number of cases. No murders were reported in 2022, while six were recorded in 2023. That number dropped to one in 2024 and remained at one in 2025.

Assaults moved in the opposite direction.

DPS reported 120 assaults countywide in 2022, compared with 519 in 2023, 490 in 2024 and 488 in 2025.

That increase should be interpreted cautiously because DPS reports use National Incident Based Reporting System data, and the assault category includes aggravated and simple assaults.

Changes in reporting, classification and agency submissions can affect yearly comparisons.

Another encouraging indicator was the percentage of offenses cleared by law enforcement. Maverick County’s clearance rate increased from 15.6 percent in 2022 to 24.1 percent in 2025.

The 2025 report shows the Eagle Pass Police Department recorded 770 offenses and cleared 249, or 32.3 percent. The Maverick County Sheriff’s Office recorded 481 offenses and cleared 52, or 10.8 percent.

The proposed Sheriff’s Office budget reduction raises questions about staffing, patrol coverage, investigations, overtime, training and response times throughout the county.

A smaller budget does not automatically mean crime will increase. Crime rates are influenced by numerous economic, demographic, social and law enforcement factors.

The DPS statistics also cannot predict what will happen in the future.

However, the Sheriff’s Office serves communities outside Eagle Pass and must patrol a geographically diverse Maverick County.

If funding reductions leave the department short-handed, maintaining the progress reflected in recent statistics could become more difficult.

The DPS figures also exist within a broader law enforcement environment that includes a significant state presence along the border through Operation Lone Star.

So, is Maverick County getting safer?

Based strictly on the most recent comparable state statistics, the answer appears to be yes in several important categories.

Total crime, burglaries, thefts and motor vehicle thefts have declined, while the percentage of cleared offenses has improved.

That progress should not be taken for granted.

As county officials consider the Sheriff’s Office budget, they must weigh financial pressures against their responsibility to maintain sufficient personnel and resources to protect the downward trend in crime and keep Maverick County residents safe.