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December 19, 2006
Riding The Crime Wave
It's no secret that crime has been the news story in Houston this year. One need only watch the evening local news to catalog the seeming flood of H-town murder and mayhem in 2006. To be sure, there have been some very disturbing violent crimes committed here this year, and in areas like the west side, which heretofore had been insulated from such trouble.
New statistics released today by the FBI will fan the flames of fear and outrage among the Houston public. The stats show that from January to June 2006, Houston's violent crime rate significantly outpaced the national average, with the murder rate up a shocking 28% over the same period in 2005.
It's also no secret that many Houstonians associate the rise in crime with the influx of Katrina evacuees some 16 months ago, and clearly a criminal element from New Orleans relocated to Houston and has caused myriad problems. Comments in recent months from HPD at various public forums, however, reveal that the Katrina effect, while real, has been exaggerated.
In a KHOU report tonight, HPD cites a substantial overall population increase (about 140,000) as explanantion for the raw number increase in violent crimes. With more people comes a larger number of crimes is how the argument goes.
Furthermore, HPD contends that when statistics for July-November 2006 are added in, the crime increase for the year is quite a bit smaller than the FBI report shows. In short, HPD says that yes, crime is up in 2006, but not as much as the alarmist media coverage would indicate.
Houston Mayor Bill White has echoed this theme in his public comments, citing improvements over the last few months. Statistically he and HPD are right, but as the mayor's August appearance at a boisterous west side town hall meeting proved, in politics perception often trumps reality.
The fact is, whether or not entirely justified, Houstonians are scared and angry about rising crime here, and citing statistics won't quell those high-running emotions. The mayor and HPD seem to grasp this concept, and have substantially increased police presence in west/southwest Houston in recent months, as well as instituted the first new HPD cadet classes in years. They have taken the first steps toward tackling a difficult problem -- increasing population and crime, coupled with a shrinking police force -- that has been years in the making.
In light of today's FBI report, continued sensational news coverage and word-of-mouth horror stories about rampant crime, local officials dismiss public sentiment on this issue at their political peril.
Posted by houtopia at December 19, 2006 10:33 PM