Houston Mayor-elect John Whitmire visits with supporters on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, after defeating U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee in the runoff election.
Dear Mayor-elect Whitmire,
Congratulations on your win. You are taking on a monumental task in managing our city and addressing some of our biggest headaches.
Like many Houstonians, crime is at the top of my list, and you say you’re going to fix it — even welcoming your constituents to City Hall on "day one" on Jan. 2 to get their thoughts.
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I hear you. I hope you can. But if crime were that easy to fix, it would have been done many years ago.
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I have spent the last few years working with neighbors on efforts to curb crime in our Third Ward community and make it safer for our families.
I’ve sat in many meetings with HPD officers and community leaders about the issues. Bar owners often bear the brunt of the blame since their establishments may invite patrons who want to “turn up” and “get ratchet.” That basically means loud music, trash, and parking issues, which all lead to nuisance behavior and sometimes crime.
We aren’t alone in this. Neighbors in Montrose and in the Washington Avenue corridor know what I’m talking about.
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As much as we want to rely on the police, there aren’t enough officers to provide solid enforcement. I think they are doing the best they can.
We have absent property owners who have little regard for how their investments, some in deplorable condition, impact the neighborhood. Some of these properties have tenants who operate what might be illegal activity like an episode of “The Wire.”
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We are constantly dealing with an uptick of bars and clubs. Some follow the rules, but others have no regard. They don’t get the proper building permits, don’t have required parking plans, don’t pick up the trash left by patrons after a busy Saturday night, and sometimes continue to operate as usual after a shooting outside their doors leads to injuries or death.
In September, an intoxicated man opened fire on a bar at Emancipation and Wentworth and injured three people. Just this month, a 27-year-old mother was killed and three others injured after a bar fight ended in a shooting outside of a bar on Griggs Road.
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Yes, you've talked about improving police recruiting and even bringing in Texas Department of Public Safety officers to help our city. But how long will those things take? And is more state intervention in Houston really a good thing given the controversy over the state's takeover of the Houston Independent School District?
Mayor-elect Whitmire, there’s no easy solution. So when you have a good one, please let us know.
Sewing: Dear Mayor-elect Whitmire, there's no easy fix...
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10.12.2023
Houston Mayor-elect John Whitmire visits with supporters on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, after defeating U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee in the runoff election.
Dear Mayor-elect Whitmire,
Congratulations on your win. You are taking on a monumental task in managing our city and addressing some of our biggest headaches.
Like many Houstonians, crime is at the top of my list, and you say you’re going to fix it — even welcoming your constituents to City Hall on "day one" on Jan. 2 to get their thoughts.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
I hear you. I hope you can. But if crime were that easy to fix, it would have been done many years ago.
NEWSROOM NEWS: Houston Chronicle promotes Joy Sewing to news........
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