Houston Crime Rates Interventions

HOUSTON REFORM

Houston Reform

In Houston, Texas, violent crimes rates have spiked in recent times. The relevance of deploying strategies meant to rein in the escalating rates of violent crimes cannot be overstated. This way, the safety and wellbeing of the general public will be secured. However, it would be prudent to note that any attempt to formulate and implement reforms should highlight the specific factors that contribute to the worsening public safety situation in Houston.

To begin with, it should be noted that as Casiano (2022) points out, “criminal suspects released on multiple felony bonds in Texas’ most populous county have killed 156 people since 2018, according to victim advocates…” It therefore follows that there is an urgent need for bail reform in the county. On this front, I would propose that violent crime suspects be denied or refused bond. This, in my opinion, would come in handy in efforts to ensure that the said crime suspects do not reoffend once released back to the community.

The somewhat lax gun control laws in Houston have also contributed to the problem. This is more so the case given that some laws such as the recent ‘Constitutional Carry’ law essentially make permit-less carry lawful (Hernandez, 2021). In effect, anybody – including criminals with dangerous intent – could roam around with a handgun without necessarily having a permit. Further, mandatory training or background checks are not required under the new law. To a large extent, this will make it easier for criminals to own handguns. I am of the opinion that gun laws should not be loosened. They should, instead, be strengthened. This is more so the case in relation to mandatory background checks as these would ensure that persons likely to misuse guns are not permitted to own then.

There are a raft of other measures that could also be undertaken in efforts to reduce the rates of violent crimes in Houston. One such measure is focus on prevention. This would ideally involve highlighting all the concerns that draw persons to violent crime. The said concerns could be inclusive of, but they are not limited to; unstable families, drug abuse, childhood delinquency, etc. Once these issues are identified, the relevant interventions can then be deployed. For instance, in relation to drug abuse, the relevant local government agencies can seek to implement various intervention efforts in partnership with various non-governmental drug abuse prevention programs. This is more so the case in seeking to rehabilitate those with substance abuse problems and ensure that the general public is aware of the harms of drug abuse (i.e. through educational programs – specifically at the school level).

There is also need for increased focus on ex-offenders. This is more so the case in relation to seeking to ensure that they do not have the motivation (or opportunity) to reoffend. Thus, in this case, programs that help ex-offenders reintegrate back into the society and find employment or a way to make a living are especially instrumental.

In the final analysis, it would also be prudent to note that there is need to ensure that the average citizens are brought on board in the design and implementation of measures to reduce crime rates in Houston. Average citizens could in some instances have better understanding of certain aspects of crime in the areas in which they live. For this reason, they could offer important advice or insights on crime prevention approaches and strategies. On the other hand, average citizens could also be instrumental in crime prevention via their active participation in structured reporting mechanisms. For instance, systems could be put in place to make it easier for average citizens to not only report crime, but also report suspicious activity for immediate police action.