You hit the nail on the head. My experiences in Austin and other people's have shown that things have gotten noticably worse within the past five years. In fact, one county's crime rate (a county with very good law enforcement funding) went up 15%-20% in a year's time.
I have never had any people issues with boondocking, but I do agree, you never know. When boondocking in rural Texas, there are also plenty of four-legged hazards as well. Wild hogs, mountain lions, coyotes, and feral dogs come to mind. A pack of feral dogs will kill a person quite dead.