Katrina Influx Caused No Lasting Spike in Crime -Houston Criminal Attorneys
A group of criminologists has published an interesting study on crime rates in Texas post-Katrina, and the results are very interesting to Houston criminal defense lawyers. The study by a group of criminologists says that the influx of evacuees from New Orleans post-Katrina has not, contrary to belief, resulted in a spike in crime in the Houston area. The study is bound to raise hackles among Houstonians who believe that the large number of people who came into Texas cities when Katrina threatened the Gulf coast, have been responsible for a higher crime rate.
The study has been published in the new issue of Journal of Criminal Justice. The five criminologists who conducted the study found that there had been just a “modest” increase in murder and robbery in Houston and Phoenix, and no difference at all in the crime rates in San Antonio. These three cities took in the maximum number of evacuees. Houston took in the most number with 240,000 evacuees, while San Antonio took in about 30,000 evacuees, and Phoenix took in about 6,000 evacuees.
The study says that there was a spike in crime soon after the evacuees began to pour in. In early 2006, after some of the evacuees began to arrive, the homicide rate spiked by 23 percent. According to Houston police, 23 homicides between September and December 2005 were committed by the evacuees. There were also spikes in specific areas of crime like homicides and robberies. However, there was no increase in the number of rapes, aggravated assaults and other crimes. According to the study, if there really had been a Katrina-related crime wave in the state after the evacuees started coming in, then there should have been an increase seen in all crimes, and not only in homicides and robberies.
Besides, the criminologists say that Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix had been struggling with high crime rates for years. They believe it’s simplistic to say that the evacuees came in, and magnified the problem.
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Thanks for sharing this news story. Still a 23% hike in murders is troubling since it’s greater than the population increase of evacuees.
Since so much attention is being paid to New Orleans these days I wish the media would alo take the initiative to do more follow up on correcting the exaggerations they made about the extent of the murders, rapes, and supposed helicopter shootings that they first reported in NOLA during Katrina. This left some otherwise sympathetic Americans from giving as much of themselves as they would have liked to, and demonized parts of the City.
Gulf officials and the media have the world’s ear this week and they need to correct some of the false rumors that still are prevalent in mainstream America.
Oh and by the way, GEAUX SAINTS!
Paul Harris
Author, “Diary From the Dome, Reflections on Fear and Privilege During Katrina”