Houston Crime

Two weeks ago two of my girlfriends were robbed at gunpoint in the Heights on 19th Street. My husband's SUV was broken into that same night, on 18th Street, and they stole his stereo and phone headset. And my CDs! And I can't help but wonder what the heck is going on?!

I mean, all people deserve to live in a safe neighborhood regardless of their income level, but let's face it, the more affluent neighborhoods usually get the most attention. So that poses a very interesting question. Now that our inner city neighborhoods have become more affluent why aren’t the new residents influencing better police security?

Those of us that have always lived in the city used to joke that there was more crime in the suburbs, or in more affluent areas of town, because robbers went where the money was. We used to joke that criminals didn't really steal from one their own. (Think of the philosophy of one of the characters in the movie Crash.)

Gentrification is changing that stereotype. Our neighborhoods in Houston are changing completely. We are basically bringing more money into areas that had been run-down for some time and we’re creating more hot spots for criminals who make a living from robbing. Of course we may have criminals coming from the outside suburbs into the city to steal too. Not all criminals come from inner city either. It just changes the whole dynamic or stereotype that criminals come from the city and go out to the affluent areas to rob.

Crime is crime, no matter what, and the citizens of the city need to do something about it. After my girlfriends were robbed they felt the need to do something. They made flyers and they posted them around the Heights in case someone found their purses. They hoped that the robber discarded their purses and that someone found them, but they also wanted to make the neighbors aware of what had happened to them.

Now that cities are changing the new neighbors should get together with the older neighbors to make some noise. The residents of the Heights and the merchants on 19th Street should work together to make their voices heard. New neighbor’s can help make a difference in their neighborhoods. They can use their affluence to influence change.