HOUSTON – Houston's murder rate in 2011 was at the lowest since 1965.
Mayor Annise Parker and Police Chief Charles McClelland Jr. announced Wednesday the murder rate in Houston is the lowest per capita rate in the city's history.
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According to a news release from Parker's office, the unofficial preliminary numbers from the Houston Police Department indicate the city's murder rate plunged 26.4 percent to 198 murders in 2011.
Officials said the figures also show the city's overall violent crime rate for crimes such as rape and robbery declined 7 percent through November of 2011.
Parker said the decline in the murder rate is part of a team effort that includes the Houston Police Department, Houston Fire Department and paramedics and emergency medical technicians who help save lives at crime scenes.
Officials said the Investigative First Responder Division, created about two years ago, has also been a possible key factor in the decline. The IFR is largely responsible for aggressively investigating crimes right after they occur.