education & housing
The crime rate has yet to decrease in Houston’s Third Ward despite new expensive housing developments and the influx of a middle-class population to the neighborhood.
The Houston Police Department reported a total of 485 offenses in August 2003 compared to 483 offenses in August 2002.
“The police turn up fairly regularly and you get worked up. You hear the police radios from inside their car, but you never hear the siren,” said Justin Peer, a massage therapist who has lived in the 4000 block of Austin Street for the past three years.
The HPD records on the South Central area for August showed that burglaries decreased to 111 from 114 in 2002. The same month, records involving narcotics had increased to 92 from 72. Robberies increased to 46 from 40. Auto theft remained nearly constant at 72 from 74.
Peer said he is yet to see police patrol in the neighborhood. He said that it would be a good idea to have police available at night.
“You only ever see police when there is something wrong. Here, you don’t even see police cars driving around doing a check,” Peer said.
Capt. D.W. Ready of the South Central Patrol said that the calls for service are down. He also said that he believes the population growth rate is higher than the crime rate.
In 1997, the population in the area was 12,130 according to a Super Neighborhood Resource Assessment news release written in 1999. According to the 2000 U.S. Cencus, the total population of Houston’s Third Ward is 15,463.
“Crime is capable of arising just about anyplace, but in my area crime is down,” Ready said.
Lianabelle Dones, a 29 year-old substitute teacher who used to live in the neighborhood disagrees.
“My car was broken into last year at around this time, but I didn’t report it to the police because they’re not going to do anything,” Dones said. “The neighborhood is improving, but the new houses are in the middle of a bad area.”
Dones’s 7-year-old daughter, Talia, attended McGregor Elementary School located at 4801 La Branch Street. During the time she lived in the area, Dones would walk her daughter to school even though they lived three blocks from the McGregor.
Ready agrees with Dones behavior in regards to her daughter. He said that people should remain alert and be ready for the unexpected.
“The best thing the community can do is get involved. Don’t just allow thing to happen, but report them, go to the meetings and become a part of the solution.”
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