Murder rate in Houston skyrockets
KPRC-2 reports that the murder rate in Houston has recently skyrocketed:
The last couple of months have not helped Houston's increased number of homicides, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Houston Police Department Chief Harold Hurtt said he is disturbed by the rising trend in the city's homicide rate and is working with city officials to create a plan that will decrease the number of violent crimes.
Police have investigated 324 murders so far this year -- a 24 percent increase over the 263 homicides reported during the same time span in 2004. The percentage increase in the number of homicides that occurred during November and December are more alarming.
"In November and December of this year we had 51. Last year we had 30, and that's an increase of 70 percent over those last two months," Hurtt said.
KTRH-740 reports that two more murders today have only made the statistics worse.
With increased gang activity, not to mention the influx of Katrina refugees, it's a terrible time for HPD (and citizens) to be faced with a police manpower shortage because of politicians who have been slow to recognize and deal with the problem.
RELATED COVERAGE: Houston Chronicle.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/22/05 10:56 AM | Print |
Previous Entry | Home | Next Entry
ADVERTISING
DISCLAIMER
All content © 2004-09, blogHOUSTON and the respective authors.
blogHOUSTON.net is powered by Nucleus.
Site design and Nucleus customization are by Kevin Whited.