Post by judywaits4u on Jan 29, 2006 16:02:03 GMT -5
PROTECT US
Houston must act quickly and decisively to bring a wave of violent crime
under control
Houston Chronicle, Editorial
In 1958, Houston had the nation's highest murder rate, with 15 homicides
per 100,000 residents. In 1981, after Houston tallied more than 700
homicides, the city was dubbed murder capital of the United States. After
years of diminishing crime rates, the number of violent crimes in the city
again is ticking upward. This time, Houstonians must act to head off the
next bloody crime wave before it crashes over us.
According to Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt, the overall crime rate is
down by 2.2 per cent. But the rate of violent crime, including homicides,
robberies and gang mayhem, is up — by 2.3 percent through November 2005,
compared with the same period in 2004. Hurtt noted that most of the
violence is committed against people who are themselves criminals. That
might comfort Houstonians living in safe neighborhoods, but it provides no
relief to the innocent bystanders who daily dodge bullets in
crime-infested apartment complexes.
Houston homicides were up 23 percent in 2005. Of the slayings that
occurred between Sept. 1, 2005, and Jan. 21 of this year, 25 involved
Katrina evacuees, as perpetrator, victim or both. Whether this statistic
arose because of the trauma of lives disrupted, imported New Orleans gang
violence or some other reason is a question Houston police and social
services agencies must answer in order to control it.
No one should make former Louisianans scapegoats for rising criminality.
This city's crime rate was trending upward long before the Aug. 29
hurricane caused an estimated 150,000 Louisianans to come here. As Hurtt
told the Chronicle editorial board on Wednesday, HPD had formed special
units to clamp down on exploding crime in Southwest Houston as far back as
early last year. Despite a series of police sweeps that netted 500
arrests, crime in that area continues to surge. Recently, residents sought
help from the New York-based Guardian Angels, a grass-roots crime
prevention organization.
Hurtt is asking for help — from the very residents who fear for their
lives in the hundreds of sprawling apartment complexes that dot the
Southwest Freeway corridor.
"The only way we're going to be successful is if citizens step up," the
police chief said. "If they see something or they hear something, we need
to know."
But people also need adequate police protection. Residents should report
suspicious activity, but the police know where the hot spots are. Hurtt
should devise ways to raise law enforcement's profile in these areas to
prevent rapes, assaults and murders.
Hurtt said he is working with City Council to compel landlords whose
apartment complexes are magnets for bad actors to hire police officers to
provide security or to pay fees to cover additional police protection.
That is a good idea. Most of the homicides that occurred during the last
four months of 2005 took place at apartment complexes, though this type of
housing constitutes only half of the city's dwellings. Apartment managers
should be required to provide adequate lighting and evict bad actors.
Over the long term, however, City Council must address HPD's severe staff
shortages in both police and civilian ranks. Money to upgrade outdated
police radios and computers must be found. Hurtt said additional funding
would allow him to station more officers on bicycle and foot patrol around
and inside apartment complexes, which can provide better crime deterrence
than drive-by patrols.
Crime waves come in cycles. Fending off the wave building in Houston will
prove difficult and costly. But the city and its residents will pay a much
higher price, in money and lives, if we do not act swiftly to curb violent
crime before it careers dangerously out of control.
---
Source : Houston Chronicle, Editorial
www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/3619116.html
Houston must act quickly and decisively to bring a wave of violent crime
under control
Houston Chronicle, Editorial
In 1958, Houston had the nation's highest murder rate, with 15 homicides
per 100,000 residents. In 1981, after Houston tallied more than 700
homicides, the city was dubbed murder capital of the United States. After
years of diminishing crime rates, the number of violent crimes in the city
again is ticking upward. This time, Houstonians must act to head off the
next bloody crime wave before it crashes over us.
According to Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt, the overall crime rate is
down by 2.2 per cent. But the rate of violent crime, including homicides,
robberies and gang mayhem, is up — by 2.3 percent through November 2005,
compared with the same period in 2004. Hurtt noted that most of the
violence is committed against people who are themselves criminals. That
might comfort Houstonians living in safe neighborhoods, but it provides no
relief to the innocent bystanders who daily dodge bullets in
crime-infested apartment complexes.
Houston homicides were up 23 percent in 2005. Of the slayings that
occurred between Sept. 1, 2005, and Jan. 21 of this year, 25 involved
Katrina evacuees, as perpetrator, victim or both. Whether this statistic
arose because of the trauma of lives disrupted, imported New Orleans gang
violence or some other reason is a question Houston police and social
services agencies must answer in order to control it.
No one should make former Louisianans scapegoats for rising criminality.
This city's crime rate was trending upward long before the Aug. 29
hurricane caused an estimated 150,000 Louisianans to come here. As Hurtt
told the Chronicle editorial board on Wednesday, HPD had formed special
units to clamp down on exploding crime in Southwest Houston as far back as
early last year. Despite a series of police sweeps that netted 500
arrests, crime in that area continues to surge. Recently, residents sought
help from the New York-based Guardian Angels, a grass-roots crime
prevention organization.
Hurtt is asking for help — from the very residents who fear for their
lives in the hundreds of sprawling apartment complexes that dot the
Southwest Freeway corridor.
"The only way we're going to be successful is if citizens step up," the
police chief said. "If they see something or they hear something, we need
to know."
But people also need adequate police protection. Residents should report
suspicious activity, but the police know where the hot spots are. Hurtt
should devise ways to raise law enforcement's profile in these areas to
prevent rapes, assaults and murders.
Hurtt said he is working with City Council to compel landlords whose
apartment complexes are magnets for bad actors to hire police officers to
provide security or to pay fees to cover additional police protection.
That is a good idea. Most of the homicides that occurred during the last
four months of 2005 took place at apartment complexes, though this type of
housing constitutes only half of the city's dwellings. Apartment managers
should be required to provide adequate lighting and evict bad actors.
Over the long term, however, City Council must address HPD's severe staff
shortages in both police and civilian ranks. Money to upgrade outdated
police radios and computers must be found. Hurtt said additional funding
would allow him to station more officers on bicycle and foot patrol around
and inside apartment complexes, which can provide better crime deterrence
than drive-by patrols.
Crime waves come in cycles. Fending off the wave building in Houston will
prove difficult and costly. But the city and its residents will pay a much
higher price, in money and lives, if we do not act swiftly to curb violent
crime before it careers dangerously out of control.
---
Source : Houston Chronicle, Editorial
www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/3619116.html