Reply With Quote^ Ouch. That hurts.
Like all really, really bad ideas made by the state in times of panic, the act of a mass government migration of a large number of people was something that could not be questioned at the time. But at least some of us predicted (as anyone with a basic knowledge of the history of government-operated mass migrations could have done) at the time that what our government was doing was yet another one of its countless really bad ideas.
While Houston’s murder rate is up 23 percent for all of 2005, it spiked 70 percent in November and December compared to last year’s levels. At least 35 percent of Houston’s December increase in homicides—five of 14 over last year’s level—directly stemmed from the presence of Katrina evacuees.
They weren't bused into the politicians' neighborhoods, naturally.
Last edited by mdunlap1; 21 January 2006 at 11:26 PM.
"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress." -- Mark Twain
^ Ouch. That hurts.
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”
what is the change in the murder rate in NO now?
I would think the murder rate in new orleans is pretty low at this point in time
The only SOB in Dallas who can sport a FUBU shirt with a NASCAR jacket and look good
I grew up in the Southwest side of Houston and i can see that it's got the highest crime rate in the city.
I'm not surprised about this at all--Houston is a hot bead of crime and gang activity. They feel very welcomed in the 'armpit' of Texas that Houston occupies.
Wow...
Radio ad asks Houstonians to arm themselves against Katrina evacuees
Black activists blast negative stereotypes
10:00 PM CDT on Thursday, September 21, 2006
Associated Press
HOUSTON – A gun shop is running a radio commercial advising Houstonians to arm themselves against Katrina evacuees, contributing to rising tensions between longtime residents and the storm refugees who have been blamed for the city's rising crime rate.
Gun shop owner and radio talk-show host Jim Pruett said Thursday that he started running the ad a few weeks ago after hearing a TV interview with a Katrina evacuee in Houston implied he would have to turn to crime if his government assistance ran out.
"There are many evacuees here who are working," said Pruett, owner of Jim Pruett's Guns & Ammo in Houston. "They have become Houstonians now. That is fantastic. That is what you are supposed to do. You are not supposed to threaten the place you are working in."
The city welcomed at least 250,000 evacuees after Katrina swamped New Orleans last year. As many as 120,000 evacuees remain in Houston.
According to police, Katrina evacuees are suspects or victims in 59 of Houston's 262 homicides between Jan. 1 and Aug. 26. Residents in upper-middle-class west Houston have blamed evacuees for violent crime rates that have increased almost 14 percent in one district and homicides that have nearly doubled in another.
Pruett's radio ad says: "When the 'Katricians' themselves are quoted as saying the crime rate is going to go up if they don't get more free rent, then it's time to get your concealed-handgun license."
Pruett, 62, said that gun sales at his store are up 50 percent from last year but that he was uncertain whether it had anything to do with fear of the evacuees.
State figures show that from January to Sept. 1, the number of concealed-carry permits issued for handguns was up almost 25 percent from the same period a year ago in in Harris County, which includes Houston.
Black activists held a community meeting Thursday evening where they blasted negative stereotypes of evacuees created by Pruett’s ad, as well as media reports that they believe portray all evacuees as criminals. They also took issue with comments earlier this month by gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman, who attributed a spike in Houston’s crime rate to the “crackheads and thugs” who evacuated New Orleans.
But community activist Quanell X said Houstonians and evacuees “can’t protect the criminal element around us. Let’s talk about hitting the streets and dealing with the criminal problem.”
Roshondra Lowe, 29, an evacuee from New Orleans who was among about 30 people attending the meeting, said she doesn’t want Houstonians to prejudge displaced residents like herself. Holding printouts of Houston’s crime rate from the last few years, Lowe said the statistics showed the city had a problem with crime before evacuees arrived.
“It’s a bunch of nonsense. I’m not going to feed into that. It’s just ignorance,” Lowe said of ads like Pruett’s and other negative comments made about evacuees.
A spokesman for Mayor Bill White said that crime overall is down in Houston but there are some areas that were hot spots before the hurricane and continue to be.
“Mr. Pruett has made his career as a shock jock and is using this tactic to sell guns,” spokesman Frank Michel said. “The vast majority of evacuees who came here are hard working, law abiding citizens.”
Pruett, 62, said while crime in Houston was an issue before Katrina evacuees came to the city, they have contributed to the problem.
“It’s a serious crime epidemic, no matter what the mayor says,” said Pruett, whose store Web site offers the following advice: “Be polite and courteous, but have a plan to KILL everybody you meet.”
As many as 120,000 evacuees remain in Houston since the city welcomed at least 250,000 after Katrina swamped New Orleans last year.
Pruett said gun sales as his store are up 50 percent from last year but he couldn’t be certain it was due to concern over evacuees.
Classes his store offers so people can get a concealed handgun license are always full. Pruett said he doesn’t think he is profiting from fear in the community about evacuees and crime.
“I’m profiting from people who want to protect themselves. We provide a great service and one that may save people’s lives,” said Pruett, who added that he has also sold guns to evacuees.
Good advice
I think it is self evident that the criminal element in NOLA was going to move to other cities. It is no different than if you displaced NYC into Chicago, Dallas and SF. Crime in those cities will go up because the criminal element of NYC has been dispersed. Don't you think the criminal element of Baton Rouge went up?
Listen to the Dividing Line, Pirate Christian Radio, CARM, White Horse Inn and RTS University the most nowadays.....
Well... if you displaced all of NYC, Chicago, and SF into Dallas, the Dallas crime rate would fall. Those cities all have lower crime rates than Dallas. (In the case of NYC, the crime rate is substantially lower.)Originally Posted by mikedsjr
Now, if you sent only their criminals to Dallas, then yes, the crime rate would go up.
"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress." -- Mark Twain
Explain?
12:18 PM CDT on Saturday, October 21, 2006
Associated Press
HOUSTON - Evacuees from Hurricane Katrina have contributed to an increase in Houston's murder rate, which is on pace to be the highest in more than a decade, according to police.
There have been 316 homicides in Houston as of Oct. 16. That is up 25 percent from the 252 slayings at this time last year. Houston is on pace to record nearly 400 murders this year.
"We recognize that the homicide rate is up as far as raw numbers and as well as percentages relative to the population," said Capt. Dwayne Ready. "We also recognize that Katrina evacuees continue to have an impact on the murder rate."
The overall crime in the city is slightly down for the year, police said.
"The homicide rate has been much higher in years past, especially the 1980s," Ready said. "Even if the number... for 2006 hits 400 it's not a bleak picture for Houston."
As many as 150,000 evacuees remain in Houston since the city welcomed at least 250,000 after Katrina swamped New Orleans last year.
Authorities first saw increases in the murder rate at the end of last year, when the city had recorded 334 homicides.
During the previous 10 years, homicide rates were never higher than the 316 slayings in 1995.
The city's homicide rate declined throughout the 1990s. In 1991 there were 608 homicides. The rate steadily dropped from 465 in 1992, to 254 in 1998. That was a turnaround from 1981, when the city was dubbed the murder capital of the United States with 701 homicides.
One recent example of how Katrina evacuees have affected the murder rate was on Aug. 28, when police said evacuee James Hubbard, 26, was gunned down as he stood at a cashier's window in southwest Houston.
Police learned the man accused of shooting him, Ralph Michael Anderson, 23, also was from New Orleans. On Wednesday, police arrested Anderson in Tyler and he has been charged with murder.
Hubbard's slaying was the 65th in 2006 classified as Katrina-related, meaning either the victim, suspect or both evacuated to Houston after Katrina.
Police have not kept records of how evacuees have affected crime rates other than homicide.
Per capita crime, defined as the number of crimes per 100,000 residents, has decreased in the city, with the violent crime rate down 3 percent this year.
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