Crime in Houston

Houston's murder rate in 2005 ranked 46th of U.S. cities with a population over 250,000 in 2005 (per capita rate of 16.3 murders per 100,000 population).[1] In 2010, the city's murder rate (per capita rate of 11.8 murders per 100,000 population) was ranked sixth among U.S. cities with a population of over 750,000 (behind New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia)[2] according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Houston had over 400 homicides in 2020 and 473 by the end of December 2021[3] a predicted increase of 30% year on year.[4]

Murders fell by 37 percent from January to June 2011, compared with the same period in 2010. Houston's total crime rate including violent and nonviolent crimes decreased by 11 percent.[5] The FBI's Uniform Crime Report (UCR) indicates a downward trend of violent crime in Houston over the ten- and twenty-year periods ending in 2016, which is consistent with national trends. This trend toward lower rates of violent crime in Houston includes the murder rate, though it had seen a four-year uptick that lasted through 2015. Houston's violent crime rate was 8.6% percent higher in 2016 from the previous year. However, from 2006 to 2016, violent crime was still down 12 percent in Houston.[6] Houston had over 400 homicides in 2020 and 373 by the end of September in 2021[7] a predicted increase of 30% year on year.[8]

Houston is a significant hub for trafficking of cocaine, cannabis, heroin, MDMA, and methamphetamine due to its size, and proximity to major illegal-drug exporting nations.[9] Houston is one of the country's largest hubs for human trafficking.[10]

In the early 1970s, Houston, Pasadena and several coastal towns were the site of the Houston mass murders, which at the time were the deadliest case of serial killing in American history.[11][12]

Gangs

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See also: Gangs in the United States

The city of Houston has a variety of street gangs such as the Los Angeles based Crips and Bloods gangs as well as Chicago based gangs. The biggest gangs include the Crips, Piru's, Gangster Disciples and Black Disciples. Latino gangs are Southwest Cholos, Brown Pride, La Tercera Crips, La Primea and MS-13. A spokesperson for the gang crime division of the Houston Police Department (HPD) stated in 2008 that white gangs in Houston include biker, prison, and racist groups, and that no predominately white Blood groups exist; there are some majority black gangs which had some white members.[13] The Houston Press reported that year that there was a white street gang in Bacliff in Galveston County.[14]

Criminal justice

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The county courts try criminal offenses under the law of Texas; City of Houston courts do not try criminal matters.[15]

The Harris County, Texas jails in Downtown Houston house pre-trial and misdemeanor inmates under Texas law.

Federal Detention Center, Houston houses pre-trial and short-term inmates under federal law.

Prior to 1923, Harris County took responsibility for executions of inmates in criminal cases involving the county.[16] In 1853 the first execution in Houston took place in public at Founder's Cemetery in the Fourth Ward; initially the cemetery was the execution site, but post-1868 executions took place in the jail facilities.[17] In 1923 the Texas state government took responsibility for all executions throughout the state.[16]

Incidents

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Murder Rate in 2005" (PDF). Morgan Quitno. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 28, 2006. Retrieved November 29, 2006.
  2. ^ "FBI Uniform 2010 (prov.) Crime Report Table 4". Archived 2011-10-31 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on July 6, 2011.
  3. ^ "Crime Statistics".
  4. ^ "Houston sees 30% increase in homicides compared to this time in 2020". 28 September 2021.
  5. ^ Lee, Renee C. "New FBI stats suggest crime's in decline in Houston", Houston Chronicle, July 26, 2011, p. B2. Retrieved July 26, 2006.
  6. ^ Blakinger, Keri (September 25, 2017). "FBI report: Houston's murder rate down, violent crime increases". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  7. ^ "Crime Statistics".
  8. ^ "Houston sees 30% increase in homicides compared to this time in 2020". 28 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Distribution – Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009". U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved on August 11, 2009.
  10. ^ "Sex Trafficking: Groups Expose Houston's Dark Secret". cbn.com. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  11. ^ "Crime: The Houston Horrors". Time. August 20, 1973. Archived from the original on July 13, 2007. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  12. ^ "Residents of Houston Curbing Murder Talk". The Beaver County Times. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  13. ^ Lomax, John Nova (2008-09-10). "Bacliff Wiggers". Houston Press. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  14. ^ Lomax, John Nova (2008-09-10). "Gangsters in Bacliff". Houston Press. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  15. ^ "City of Houston Annexation FAQ". City of Houston. 1996-10-13. Archived from the original on 1996-10-31. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  16. ^ a b "Death Row Information". Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved 2024-08-16. The State of Texas authorized [...] Prior to 1923, Texas counties were responsible for their own executions.
  17. ^ Pando, Patricia. "Two Worlds a Mile Apart: A Brief History of the Fourth Ward" (PDF). Houston History Magazine. pp. 37–41.

Further reading

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