The Wycliff-Maple TAAG is shown in blue. (Source: DPD)

Violent crime was down 29 percent in the first half of 2011 in the roughly 1-square-mile hotspot that encompasses the Cedar Springs gay entertainment district, according to statistics obtained this week by Instant Tea. However, nonviolent property crimes are on the rise, jumping 23 percent near the strip during the same time period.

The Wycliff-Maple Target Area Action Grid (TAAG), previously known as the Cedar Springs-Wycliff TAAG, recorded 51 violent offenses from Jan. 1 through July 11 of this year, down from 72 offenses year-to-date in 2010, according to the statistics provided by the Dallas Police Department. Violent crimes include murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery. Of those offense types, only aggravated assaults have seen an increase this year in the Wycliff-Maple TAAG, going from 14 in the first six months of 2010 to 17 in 2011. Robberies of individuals, considered the main crime issue for club-goers in the area, fell from 46 last year to 27 this year.

But when it comes to nonviolent crimes, the area has seen big increases in two categories — business burglaries and motor vehicle burglaries. The number of business burglaries nearly doubled, going from 13 in 2010 to 25 this year, while motor vehicle burglaries jumped from 119 to 192. Vehicle thefts stayed the same at 63, while residential burglaries dropped from 62 to 55, and “other thefts” fell from 58 to 53. All told, the number of nonviolent offenses jumped from 315 last year to 388 this year in the Wycliff-Maple TAAG.

Combined with the violent crime numbers, it adds up to a 13 percent increase in what are known as Part 1 offenses in the Wycliff-Maple TAAG this year. The area has seen 439 Part 1 offenses so far in 2011, up from 387 year-to-date in 2010.

That puts the Wycliff-Maple TAAG at No. 5 for Part 1 crimes on a list of 27 similar crime hotspots citywide. The No. 1 crime hotspot in Dallas? Ross-Bennett, which has recorded 695 Part 1 offenses this year. Overall, the 27 TAAGs have seen a combined 15 percent drop in Part 1 crimes.