Houston's homicide rate second only to Philly's

Well, here's something to be proud of: Houston's homicide rate is now the second-highest among large American cities, according to FBI figures released Monday. Keep in mind that this is the homicide rate we're talking about — Houston's was 18.2 per 100,000 residents last year, putting us second only to Philadelphia and ahead of Dallas (fifth place), which has had a higher homicide rate than Houston for each of the last 11 years.

The numbers are, in part, a reflection of what's happening across the country: Violent crime, which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, was up 1.3 percent in 2006 nationwide, and the number of homicides in metro areas with 1 million or more people shot up 6.7 percent. In Houston, the number of murders increased to 379 last year from 334 in 2005, a jump officials blamed in part on hurricane evacuees. And though that might be a factor, the upward trend in Houston murder statistics was going on well before Katrina hit in September 2005. So what does Houston do to handle this? Eh, well, it's really not all that bad, is it? "The homicide rate has been much higher in years past, especially the 1980s," HPD Capt. Dwayne Ready told the Chronicle in October. "Even if the number ... for 2006 hits 400 it's not a bleak picture for Houston."

HPD has taken steps to address crime hot spots around the city, including rolling out the crime van last spring and combating an officer shortage by encouraging cops to work overtime. A citywide tactical unit, which the department is considering, could also target neighborhoods where violent crime is a problem. And as the Chronicle notes today, so-called "community policing" — in which more police officers are devoted to traditional beat work — is another plan HPD Chief Harold Hurtt has been promoting. That plan could get support from the federal government: The Community Oriented Policing Services Improvement Act, now being considered by Congress, would give $1.15 billion a year for the next six years to U.S. cities for community policing. It's not clear, though, whether such measures really make a difference: "Like any other issue, politicians want to do something about crime," Sam Houston State criminal justice professor Jerry L. Dowling told the Chronicle. "Whether it's effective or not is not oftentimes the gauge."