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The Nexus
Data through May 1, 2026 · updates quarterly
Reported vs. measured

San Antonio, TX

San Antonio Crime Coverage: What National Outlets Reported vs. What the City's Data Shows

Over the same roughly 90-day window, San Antonio's measured incident data and the national news coverage of the city's crime tell very different stories in terms of proportion. Theft accounted for 65% of measured incidents (10,527 cases) and motor vehicle theft another 12% (2,007 cases), yet neither category appeared in any of the five national stories tracked. By contrast, robbery, which made up just 2% of measured incidents (295 cases), accounted for 40% of national coverage, including the NY Post's June 19 story 'Mother-daughter duo allegedly beat and robbed New York Knicks fans after historic win in San Antonio.' Homicide, at 22 measured incidents (0% share) and a 22% 90-day decline, still generated a national story: NBC News' 'Texas mom charged with capital murder after kids found dead in burnt car' (May 16).

The second gap is between national and local coverage itself. Of the five crime stories identified in this window, all five came from national or wire outlets (NY Post, DOJ News, NBC News, Fox News); zero were sourced from local San Antonio outlets. That means the national-vs-local divergence cannot be measured directly here, only noted as an absence. Categories like burglary (10% of measured incidents, up 5% over 30 days) and assault (8% of measured incidents, up 12% over 30 days) had thin or no coverage at either level relative to their share of the data, aside from one national assault story about a Knicks-fan altercation.

None of this indicates whether crime in San Antonio is rising or falling overall. It shows where measured incident volume, national attention, and local reporting align or diverge for specific categories in this window.

Recorded incidents · last 18 months
2025-022026-05
Incidents vs. national vs. local coverage

Each category’s share of measured incidents, national/cable coverage, and local coverage over the same ~90-day window.

5 national stories · 0 local stories in window · local coverage is sparse, read the local bars with caution

Theft
Measured
10,527 · 65%

10,527 incidents recorded over the ~90-day window, through May 1, 2026.

30-day trend: -1% vs. the prior 30 days.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS)

National
0 stories · 0%
Local
none
Motor vehicle theft
Measured
2,007 · 12%

2,007 incidents recorded over the ~90-day window, through May 1, 2026.

30-day trend: -9% vs. the prior 30 days.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS)

National
0 stories · 0%
Local
none
Burglary
Measured
1,614 · 10%

1,614 incidents recorded over the ~90-day window, through May 1, 2026.

30-day trend: +5% vs. the prior 30 days.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS)

National
0 stories · 0%
Local
none
Assault
Measured
1,322 · 8%

1,322 incidents recorded over the ~90-day window, through May 1, 2026.

30-day trend: +12% vs. the prior 30 days.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS)

National
1 story · 20%
Local
none
Robbery
Measured
295 · 2%

295 incidents recorded over the ~90-day window, through May 1, 2026.

30-day trend: +9% vs. the prior 30 days.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS)

National
2 stories · 40%
Local
none
Sex offenses
Measured
265 · 2%

265 incidents recorded over the ~90-day window, through May 1, 2026.

30-day trend: -15% vs. the prior 30 days.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS)

National
1 story · 20%
Local
none
Arson
Measured
25 · 0%

25 incidents recorded over the ~90-day window, through May 1, 2026.

30-day trend: -50% vs. the prior 30 days.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS)

National
0 stories · 0%
Local
none
Homicide
Measured
22 · 0%

22 incidents recorded over the ~90-day window, through May 1, 2026.

30-day trend: -22% vs. the prior 30 days.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS)

National
1 story · 20%
Local
none
What the coverage looked like
How to read this
  • San Antonio's incident data updates roughly quarterly, so it lags behind real-time news coverage; the 'measured' figures here may not reflect the very latest activity.
  • Local coverage was sparse in this window (0 stories identified against 5 national stories), so no local-vs-national comparison could be made with confidence. National coverage should not be read as a stand-in for how local outlets are covering the city.
  • Percentage shares for national and local coverage are based on a small sample (5 total stories), so small shifts represent large percentage swings.
  • 30-day delta percentages reflect short-term movement within the 90-day window and are not a verdict on longer-term trends.
  • Coverage counts reflect story volume only, not story length, placement, or audience reach.