Seasonal Crimes on the Rise In Texas

Before you ask, no, seasonal crimes are not when you get accosted by the boiling sun in the summer.

What seasonal crime actually means is the increased rate of violent crimes committed as the temperatures rise.

This is more common than you'd think. In fact, juvenile crime rates alone increase by 35% during the summer.

What makes summer so special?

Well, according to Attorney Mark Diaz from Galveston, TX, longer days, alcohol, summer vacation and overall high temperatures all invite more crimes than other parts of the year.

With longer days, people are outside more which gives potential criminals more time to act. Higher alcohol consumption can make people more irritable and impulsive.

Juvenile crime rates increase with kids out of school for the whole summer with nothing to do, and the hot, sticky and uncomfortable feeling that high heat offers Texans can make us more agitated than normal.

What crimes in particular increase during summer in Texas?

Robbery, aggravated assault and--the big one--murder all see increased rates during Texas summers.

Also in the summer months, burglary rates are prone to increase over 10% alone.

Tips and tricks

Associa, a community management service company, offers some advice for mitigating the chances of becoming a victim during the summer.

They recommend that you close and lock your windows at the end of the day, but to not forget about the blinds as well.

Associa also says to avoid hiding a spare key for your kids coming home from school or any other reason. Instead, it may be best to invest in a lockbox with a keypad rather than hiding the house key under a flower pot or a rock.

So, enjoy the summer season here in Texas, but always remember that crime has no bedtime... I should put that on a t-shirt.