Preacherman
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From WWL TV, New Orleans (http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl122705femacrime.1bcf986d.html):
Houston mayor asks FEMA to fund crime task force due to of high number of Katrina evacees
12:20 PM CST on Tuesday, December 27, 2005
HOUSTON -- Federal money should fund a $6.5 million task force to target a rise in crime because police face additional demands after an influx of hurricane evacuees, Houston Mayor Bill White said.
Violent crimes have surged in Houston. The city's homicide rate rose nearly 25% since last year and 70% this month. Just two of Houston's 19 patrol districts accounted for the higher homicide rate, both in southwest Houston, White said.
Officials didn't single out one cause for the higher crime rate but pointed to additional gang activity and population growth from Katrina evacuees as contributing factors.
"Crime is unacceptable, especially the murder rate, in some of these hot spots," White said Monday. "We had criminals here before the evacuation and we had some more criminals here after the evacuation."
Even though the city's crime increase isn't solely blamed on Hurricane Katrina evacuees, White said the Federal Emergency Management Agency should fund the taskforce because of the strain those additional 100,000 to 150,000 residents put on the Houston Police Department.
Officers working overtime from January to July would staff the task force. Their work would equal that of adding 150 officers to the force, Police Chief Harold Hurtt said.
They would target the most crime-affected areas, which are in southwest Houston and include apartment complexes housing many Katrina evacuees, officials said.
"Some people who preyed on the vulnerable and broke the rules in Louisiana have gravitated to certain apartment complexes which already had a high concentration of crime," White said. "Now, those areas have a worse problem."
Katrina evacuees have been connected to at least eight of 121 homicides in Houston since refugees began arriving in September, Hurtt said.
Houston mayor asks FEMA to fund crime task force due to of high number of Katrina evacees
12:20 PM CST on Tuesday, December 27, 2005
HOUSTON -- Federal money should fund a $6.5 million task force to target a rise in crime because police face additional demands after an influx of hurricane evacuees, Houston Mayor Bill White said.
Violent crimes have surged in Houston. The city's homicide rate rose nearly 25% since last year and 70% this month. Just two of Houston's 19 patrol districts accounted for the higher homicide rate, both in southwest Houston, White said.
Officials didn't single out one cause for the higher crime rate but pointed to additional gang activity and population growth from Katrina evacuees as contributing factors.
"Crime is unacceptable, especially the murder rate, in some of these hot spots," White said Monday. "We had criminals here before the evacuation and we had some more criminals here after the evacuation."
Even though the city's crime increase isn't solely blamed on Hurricane Katrina evacuees, White said the Federal Emergency Management Agency should fund the taskforce because of the strain those additional 100,000 to 150,000 residents put on the Houston Police Department.
Officers working overtime from January to July would staff the task force. Their work would equal that of adding 150 officers to the force, Police Chief Harold Hurtt said.
They would target the most crime-affected areas, which are in southwest Houston and include apartment complexes housing many Katrina evacuees, officials said.
"Some people who preyed on the vulnerable and broke the rules in Louisiana have gravitated to certain apartment complexes which already had a high concentration of crime," White said. "Now, those areas have a worse problem."
Katrina evacuees have been connected to at least eight of 121 homicides in Houston since refugees began arriving in September, Hurtt said.
