Web Desk
Two new House bills are being pushed by San Antonio agencies to turn vehicle burglaries from misdemeanors into felonies.
According to San Antonio Police Department data, provided by Centro San Antonio, there were 429 car burglaries citywide between Dec. 24, 2023, and Jan. 22, 2024.
Of those, 60 incidents occurred in downtown San Antonio alone.
The push comes from Centro San Antonio, the San Antonio Police Officer’s Association (SAPOA), and the Combined Law Enforcement Agency of Texas (CLEAT), who are backing House Bill 548.
This bill proposes making car theft a felony from the first offense.
Trish DeBerry, CEO and President of Centro SA, emphasized the need for tougher penalties:
“Criminalizing burglary of a vehicle should have harsher penalties. Making it only a misdemeanor normalizes the behavior. Even first-time offenders should face automatic jail time — that’s a strong deterrent.”
If House Bill 548 passes, repeat offenses would escalate to second-degree and third-degree felonies.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is also supporting a similar proposal — House Bill 727. This bill would upgrade vehicle burglaries to felonies if:
A gun is in the burglar’s possession during the crime.
A gun is stolen from the vehicle.
A stolen car is used to commit the burglary.
Multiple cars are targeted in a single act.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar highlighted the growing violence linked to car thefts:
“This is no longer just a property crime. Homeowners have been shot investigating suspicious activity, and suspects have been shot by homeowners. We need to end this.”
Car theft was once a felony in Texas but was later downgraded to a misdemeanor.
Despite a current downward trend in car burglaries, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office warned that seasonal spikes — during holidays and summer months — remain a risk.
DeBerry stressed the importance of passing these bills:
“If we can unite behind these bills, we can make people think twice before breaking into a car. That’s the goal.”
Both House Bill 548 and House Bill 727 are moving through the Texas State House. If either is approved, the law would take effect on September 1.
