Crime In The Woodlands

[Mom22Blessings]

I'm normally driving too fast to see what other people are drinking.

[woody_hawkeye]

Bach I don't think they even realize they are at a stop or even pay attention to the order of those coming to the 4-way. They have a cell phone in one hand, a Starbucks in the other and how to finish their child's science project, with that collegiate look, on their mind.

Yeah, last week I saw a guy talking on his cell phone with one hand and eating breakfast with the other, all the while speeding and swerving from edge to edge to stay on the road. One wonders just what is going on in those little warped minds. Obviously not much awareness of the road , much less other people on the road.

[bachanon]

Woodlands maps out law enforcement patrol zones

Tentative boundaries are set for new policing initiative

By BETH KUHLES

Chronicle Correspondent

Draft Patrol Zones for The Woodlands

The Woodlands is reviewing a tentative zone map for its new community policing initiative, which is based on geography, road access and call volumes. The zones will not be finalized until May, when the hiring of all 30 new deputies and supervisors for The Woodlands division is complete. Following are the villages as they are covered in the draft plan:

[KatieDidIt]

ahh bach. We are moving back to Houston. So I will have my local HPD Officer working for the Association patrol to complain to.

FYI. The man standing in our backyard at 11pm last month was not a local kiddo. But it was nothing two good dogs and some old fashion Texas Gun waving couldn't handle. Being that it would be a non priority call, since he wasn't trying to get into the house yet, we didn't really want to wait 20 minutes for back up. I don't think he'll be back.

But the officer who came later in the evening was really nice and took a description. But I'm glad you guys will have the coverage you should have had years ago.

[bachanon]

ahh bach. We are moving back to Houston. So I will have my local HPD Officer working for the Association patrol to complain to.

FYI. The man standing in our backyard at 11pm last month was not a local kiddo. But it was nothing two good dogs and some old fashion Texas Gun waving couldn't handle. Being that it would be a non priority call, since he wasn't trying to get into the house yet, we didn't really want to wait 20 minutes for back up. I don't think he'll be back.

But the officer who came later in the evening was really nice and took a description. But I'm glad you guys will have the coverage you should have had years ago.

are you serious? that scares me. i've never thought there were freaks about like that.

i'm sorry to hear that you are moving and i'm unhappy that your woodlands experience was negative. there are days when i think i should've purchased something inside the loop. the intellectual capacity of many i've met here has been unsatisfying. i miss the creative intellects who tend to live near rice, st. thomas and montrose. i miss having people challenge my statements. people up here just think i'm a brainiac. inner loopers make me work for it.

[KatieDidIt]

are you serious? that scares me. i've never thought there were freaks about like that.

Yeah we Texans have been known to wave guns from time to time.

Anyway Bach, the Woodlands is a great place for many. I just prefer, as you say, more challenge and some buzz around me. I like the housewives around me to be busy in more than just school,sports and neighborhood gossip...not that there is anything wrong with that...........<crickets churp> Also, this "holing up" in the house thing is so foriegn to me. Hubby loves the house and enjoys many aspects of the place, but the lack of service and drive is not fun for him. It was 45 minutes when we moved here, now its up to 90. Last Friday it took him 2.5 hours to get home. I really enjoy him and want him to have more family time.

I am sad for us that this didn't work out, but life is a series of lessons and we just went for a detour for two and a half of them.

[bachanon]

i can't blame you for wanting to live in town. i love the woodlands for esoteric and financial reasons. i'm sure i would be more at home in town. when i purchased my house here, my friends in town were perplexed. i was raised in suburbia, but i'm not a suburban person. go figure.

[musicman]

crime in the woodlands to decrease

i'm not sure if that's the best title. hopefully it will decrease as a result of hiring more officers but there's no guarantee.

[bachanon]

crime in the woodlands to decrease

i'm not sure if that's the best title. hopefully it will decrease as a result of hiring more officers but there's no guarantee.

no, but i wanted to counter the title.........."crime in the woodlands increasing". what proof is there that crime has increased in the woodlands? who is to say that crime was increased because of a lack of officers?

[musicman]

no, but i wanted to counter the title.........."crime in the woodlands increasing". what proof is there that crime has increased in the woodlands? who is to say that crime was increased because of a lack of officers?

the original article said....crimes, such as rape and murder, are rare in The Woodlands, but at least some residents say minor crimes

[bachanon]

it seems as if you've proved my point.

lack of officers.......increase in crime along with increase in population.

i deduce that an increase in officers will decrease crime.

this may or may not be a true statement. however, to assume that an increase in crime is a result of less officers, then one can assume that an increase in officers will decrease crime.

[musicman]

it seems as if you've proved my point.

lack of officers.......increase in crime along with increase in population.

i deduce that an increase in officers will decrease crime.

this may or may not be a true statement. however, to assume that an increase in crime is a result of less officers, then one can assume that an increase in officers will decrease crime.

hopefully it will

[PureAuteur]

I think by having officers, you acknowledge that there is crime, and so it increases perceived crime and danger. By not having any officers, you maintain the utopian perception of the Woodlands, and do not worry about crime as much. It's like how some people believe owning a gun makes them safer, while others believe not owning a gun makes them feel safer.

Bachanon- Hopefully this gives you the intellectual challenge that you felt was missing from your Woodlands neighbors.

[Ralo]

.

[Ralo]

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[KatieDidIt]

It's like how some people believe owning a gun makes them safer

I don't believe anymore, I know. This was the second time I had to get the gun since we have lived here. (My son tore down the stairs thinking it was his ride to a sleep over, and before I could stop him he opened the door to some crazy woman. NO, it wasn't a housewife off her Xanex. This one was cracked out and waving her hands everywhere not making any sense. Hubby was trying to get her to move on but she started getting agressive. I got the pistol out just in case. You never know what 'buddies" she had waiting down the street in a car. )

14 years in the Galleria area I NEVER had a problem. But we do keep it in a pistol safe next to the bed with a finger touch code. We have all the hunting weapons in a gun safe.

Ralo, nothing beats good dogs!

[woody_hawkeye]

It's like how some people believe owning a gun makes them safer

I don't believe anymore, I know. This was the second time I had to get the gun since we have lived here. (My son tore down the stairs thinking it was his ride to a sleep over, and before I could stop him he opened the door to some crazy woman. NO, it wasn't a housewife off her Xanex. This one was cracked out and waving her hands everywhere not making any sense. Hubby was trying to get her to move on but she started getting agressive. I got the pistol out just in case. You never know what 'buddies" she had waiting down the street in a car. )

14 years in the Galleria area I NEVER had a problem. But we do keep it in a pistol safe next to the bed with a finger touch code. We have all the hunting weapons in a gun safe.

Ralo, nothing beats good dogs!

Having a gun gives a false sense of security. I have them but try never to pull one out even in a bad situation. Have a beat cop nearby helps remove me from enforcement myself. The utopia is only a perception from the outside. Inside we are all aware of the issues. There are little and big crimes to deal with here. Our kids have ready access to drugs, the traffic races on The Woodlands Race Track are a constant threat, and I am sure there are other ways to look at these problems. Complain about a noisy automobile and you are asked to go out and get the license plate yourself. Need to take my gun with me possibly if I have to go find the culprit myself? NOT!

[Vertigo58]

Having a gun gives a false sense of security. I have them but try never to pull one out even in a bad situation.

I agree, while it is good for some (possessing a gun) I always have that idea that the prowler could wrestle it out your hands and use it one you! Just a bit paranoid I guess.

Good thing The Woodlands police/security are trying to manage what it has now (crime wise) otherwise it will spin out of control. The larger the community the harder it gets. I just wish some of the people they interview on TV would stop blaming Houston for their increasing crime in The Woodlands.

It's such a cop out. (no pun intended).

[PureAuteur]

It's like how some people believe owning a gun makes them safer

I don't believe anymore, I know. This was the second time I had to get the gun since we have lived here. (My son tore down the stairs thinking it was his ride to a sleep over, and before I could stop him he opened the door to some crazy woman. NO, it wasn't a housewife off her Xanex. This one was cracked out and waving her hands everywhere not making any sense. Hubby was trying to get her to move on but she started getting agressive. I got the pistol out just in case. You never know what 'buddies" she had waiting down the street in a car. )

14 years in the Galleria area I NEVER had a problem. But we do keep it in a pistol safe next to the bed with a finger touch code. We have all the hunting weapons in a gun safe.

Ralo, nothing beats good dogs!

You went for the pistol because some crazy woman was at the door? Sounds a bit extreme to me. I thought the only guns in the Woodlands were kids running around with NERF guns and water guns. What happened to the utopia? Seriously though, I wouldn't think you'd need one living around the Beltway (Jersey Village area) like I do, much less the Woodlands.

I don't think that crime would escalate as the population grows, as long as the demographics remain homogenous. There are three things that would keep crime in the Woodlands extremely low to almost non-existent, even considering population increases: those would be its remote location along I-45 North, the demographics (socio-economic), and the strong sense of community, both in the residents and inherent in the way the Woodlands was created.

[KatieDidIt]

You went for the pistol because some crazy woman was at the door? Sounds a bit extreme to me. I thought the only guns in the Woodlands were kids running around with NERF guns and water guns. What happened to the utopia? Seriously though, I wouldn't think you'd need one living around the Beltway (Jersey Village area) like I do, much less the Woodlands.

I don't think that crime would escalate as the population grows, as long as the demographics remain homogenous. There are three things that would keep crime in the Woodlands extremely low to almost non-existent, even considering population increases: those would be its remote location along I-45 North, the demographics (socio-economic), and the strong sense of community, both in the residents and inherent in the way the Woodlands was created.

Let me expound. I don't know why I feel the need to do so with you, but your posts in the past have been so off base about a place you have never lived. My husband was at the door. She was crazy, aggressive, not making any sense and edging into our threshold. Who knows who was waiting for her in a car down the street to help her. I went into the bedroom and unlocked the safe. I never came out of the room but something wasn't right. I had two boys upstairs and a really strange situation going on. Do I think, "Oh its the Woodlands, faddie la, nothing bad could happen in ShangraFakingLa?" No, I think to protect. After more than two year without police presence, why would I suddenly think the cavalry was going to come help? This is pretty much a candyland to those who want easy pickings, or for those who want to steal property or kids.

The Woodlands is NOT a utopia. NO place is. The demographics are no longer homogeneous (not that that really promotes safety).OUr little neighborhood has evolved into 60% Angleo 35% Latin and the rest is Asian and African American.

And one of the reason I look forward to moving back to Houston is for the pride and loyalty to the neighborhood. I'm sorry, but in general there is no sense of community here. How can there be? People stay here on average 5 years and move. I think I have met one native Woodlander, the rest are using this as a landing pad and pining away for home that is somewhere else.

REAL Community and the REAL small town feel comes from generations (or at least two) having grown up in an area. Pride and the desire to have a good community for their grandkids, to make a place better themselves not just write a check and assume it will be taking care of in a nice neat package, is what makes a place wonderful. And that place can be surrounded by "hoods" and function better than any "Developed Home Town."

The Woodlands isn't perfect, it isn't crime a crime ridden ghetto, its just a place. Weird things happen everywhere. It isn't a bubble, residents pretend there is one so they don't have to worry about anything. Seems to me you have bought the Big Brother Propaganda The Development Company spews.

Peace Out

[musicman]

I don't think that crime would escalate as the population grows, as long as the demographics remain homogenous. There are three things that would keep crime in the Woodlands extremely low to almost non-existent, even considering population increases: those would be its remote location along I-45 North, the demographics (socio-economic), and the strong sense of community, both in the residents and inherent in the way the Woodlands was created.

remember, the criminals don't necessarily live there. the economic conditions there are why criminals go there particularly if they know the police force is small.

[Vertigo58]

remember, the criminals don't necessarily live there. the economic conditions there are why criminals go there particularly if they know the police force is small.

Bravo! I have known and worked with some of the residents that live there (Woodlands) and they are always boasting of how perfect life is there. Television (Hot on Houston for example) always fuel the dream like illusion that all is sunshine & lollipops in The Woodlands. This only encourages ...lets see can't think of a politically correct word for it, lower element to infiltrate the area.

Someone needs to talk to the writers of that show to be sure to add "security is of its highest" or does that scare away potential buyers? It's all about the mighty $ I'm afraid.

[native5th]

Hey, you guys are freaking me out a little bit. We live in Houston, and we are seriously considering moving to the Woodlands. We know several families who have moved out there/been there for at least five years and they love it and plan on staying out there. We are moving hoping to find a safer place/better schools for our family. I'd like to know..what villages are y'all talking about where you have these loonies walking around and knocking on your doors? Are you in the back of the Woodlands(like Alden Bridge areas?) Thank a lot for your input-

[KatieDidIt]

NAtive, I am in Sterling Ridge. In general the Woodlands is safe, just the police force was not what was needed and they should have beefed it up years ago. BUt apparently it will get better. You have your loons here just like you would anywhere. Serious crime is rare. The service the area provides is lack-luster for the associations fees, imho....and they don't give a darn about the residents.

School- Honestly they aren't any better than SBISD. In fact our friends who have kids in SBISD seem to be a little ahead. Its just cheaper to live here for the schools. And CISD is very interested in the EXCELLENT ranking on the TAKS and devote most of the education towards getting that ranking. And we are very behind the private institutions, according to all the schools we have interviewed with. Verdict is still out on what the booming ESL program will do to the district, who doesn't even teach spanish in the program.

Area- The demographics are quickly changing. A large Latin population is calling this their school home. Bringing their kids in from Mexico to learn english and have a safer world to grow up in. Being from Houston this doesn't bother me, but there is a bit of a culture clash going on.

You certainly get more house for your money, but then you are stuck in the middle of no where and burning up the roads to get anywhere.

Taxes and Association Fees- Outrageous. Enough said.

Commute to Houston- Getting more ridiculous everyday

NAtive, its a good place. Some love it. Many like it. Many find what is here "enough" for them. Many are unhappy but know its best for their kids to stay here until they get through school. Most are traveling on through until the next transfer. Us? We are moving back to Houston.

When we moved here it was a balanced choice, when you had pros and cons on paper. It still is. But there is just an untouchable something that is missing for us as a family and we are willing to make some sacrifics in moving back to Houston. Houston has a lot of soul and pride and feels like a small town within a city. We miss all that.

........................

Bach to address your brainiac statement. I have heard so many comments directed toward me since I moved here like : How do you know so much? Where do you get all that energy?

Never in my life has anyone asked me those questions until here.

[bachanon]

Bach to address your brainiac statement. I have heard so many comments directed toward me since I moved here like : How do you know so much? Where do you get all that energy? unsure.gif

Never in my life has anyone asked me those questions until here.

katiedidit: there is a real difference in the world view of someone who has been exposed to different cultures, the arts, museums, etc. and someone who has spent their life in a bubble, completely unaware of anything outside of their neighborhood, local church, school or shopping. not to diss the woodlands, but the difference is stark.

there are times when i'm with inner loopers types (some from around here) that i refrain from using certain words because i'm not quite sure if i'm using it in the proper context. on the other hand, there are times when i'm with locals from around here and i refrain from using certain words all together. words like imperative or plethora seem to cause a glossy effect in some people's eyes. i just stop mid-sentence and rephrase. don't get me wrong, i do not intend to demean people. however, i do believe it's a talent (knowing how to communicate with different kinds of people) worth honing.

oh, and about the crazy woman at your house; i'm reminded of a man who came to our door one weeknight last year. it was after 8PM. he was wide eyed and unsettled. he asked me if i wanted to make money. he wanted to make some sort of a sales pitch. i ended his attempt to con me abruptly. i said that "solicitation in the woodlands is illegal". he became agitated. i told him that he needed to leave. i closed and locked the door before he got too far away from the front porch and i heard him screaming vulgarities as he walked away. i found out later, that these van loads of con artists were canvassing entire neighborhoods. they say they are selling magazine subscriptions, they want to show you something or they are selling a revolutionary cleaner (usually something from a store, repackaged at an inflated price). these people are rough around the edges, usually looking over their shoulder and a bit nervous. i hope that our new police force will put an end to this type of activity, more so than hiding behind trees looking for those EVIL traffic violators.

[RedScare]

Bravo! I have known and worked with some of the residents that live there (Woodlands) and they are always boasting of how perfect life is there. Television (Hot on Houston for example) always fuel the dream like illusion that all is sunshine & lollipops in The Woodlands. This only encourages ...lets see can't think of a politically correct word for it, lower element to infiltrate the area.

Someone needs to talk to the writers of that show to be sure to add "security is of its highest" or does that scare away potential buyers? It's all about the mighty $ I'm afraid.

Perhaps you and musicman could shed some light on this statement. Some statistics, maybe? A study showing that the criminals come from somewhere else? Your statement, and musicman's, suggest that maybe you two have fallen for the "sunshine pumping" of Hot on Houston as well. While anecdotal, during the 5 years that I operated a criminal defense office in the Woodlands, I never once met a defendant charged with a Woodlands area crime that was not from the Woodlands area. This is not to suggest that it never happens. In fact, I know of a couple of cases over the last 10 years where that was the case. However, the overwhelming majority of Woodlands crime....like virtually every neighborhood....is committed by those who live nearby. People go where they know. This includes criminals, who by and large, are opportunists.

If you have data that shows otherwise, I would love to see it.

[musicman]

Perhaps you and musicman could shed some light on this statement. Some statistics, maybe? A study showing that the criminals come from somewhere else? Your statement, and musicman's, suggest that maybe you two have fallen for the "sunshine pumping" of Hot on Houston as well. While anecdotal, during the 5 years that I operated a criminal defense office in the Woodlands, I never once met a defendant charged with a Woodlands area crime that was not from the Woodlands area. This is not to suggest that it never happens. In fact, I know of a couple of cases over the last 10 years where that was the case. However, the overwhelming majority of Woodlands crime....like virtually every neighborhood....is committed by those who live nearby. People go where they know. This includes criminals, who by and large, are opportunists.

If you have data that shows otherwise, I would love to see it.

i've been attending the PIP meetings for over a decade where they talk about crime, crime patterns, etc. our area found the last captain very personable and would relay information to the various neighborhood organizations regarding crime in the immediate area and crime houston wide. petty crime tends to be more local yes. for instance, crime committed by teens. burglaries can happen anywhere yes, but he did state that neighborhoods that tend to be more well off and don't have a police presence (or other deterrents) are more of a target. there was a story on channel 13 just a month or so ago where ted oberg interviewed imprisoned repeated burglars who also mentioned the lack of police (dogs, etc). you hear all the ads on home alarm systems, etc. i found it very eye opening that the burglars didn't consider an alarm a deterrent. they stated that it take 5 mins for the alarm company to notify the police and in houston it takes at least 10 mins for the officers to respond so they try to be done before 15 mins. i honestly believe that criminals today are more bold than they were 20 yrs ago. it is amazing how much having a neighborhood watch drops crime. when criminal see a police/neighborhood presence, they tend to move to an area that has less police presence. he also stated that the criminal community does communicate amongst each other. whereever you live, you must be alert to possible crime and not become less alert because you feel your area should be safer than another.

[RedScare]

musicman, I saw the same piece on abc13 last month. Oberg reported most of the same things I have heard and learned over the years.

A couple of things. You left out the fact that Oberg reported that most burglaries occur within a short distance of where the burglar lives. While that could mean nothing in central Houston, where Memorial is a short distance from Gulfton, it is a big deal in the Woodlands, where some neighborhoods are 45 minutes or more from the "lower elements" that Vertigo referred to. Also, I think the communication in the criminal community is vastly overstated. There is a belief by many (especially young DAs) that the criminals are organized like a frat, where they meet regularly to discuss the overthrow of the homeowner. It is much more organic and disjointed than that. Bored teens and 20-somethings looking for something to do, or a little cash may come up with a scheme to break into neighbor's homes. Crackheads, while lighting a pipe, might tell each other where to find copper, or where the valuables are hidden in homes. But, it is not a professional development seminar. It is more like you and your neighbor making idle chat about the best way to get rid of crabgrass.

[musicman]

musicman, I saw the same piece on abc13 last month. Oberg reported most of the same things I have heard and learned over the years.

A couple of things. You left out the fact that Oberg reported that most burglaries occur within a short distance of where the burglar lives. While that could mean nothing in central Houston, where Memorial is a short distance from Gulfton, it is a big deal in the Woodlands, where some neighborhoods are 45 minutes or more from the "lower elements" that Vertigo referred to. Also, I think the communication in the criminal community is vastly overstated. There is a belief by many (especially young DAs) that the criminals are organized like a frat, where they meet regularly to discuss the overthrow of the homeowner. It is much more organic and disjointed than that. Bored teens and 20-somethings looking for something to do, or a little cash may come up with a scheme to break into neighbor's homes. Crackheads, while lighting a pipe, might tell each other where to find copper, or where the valuables are hidden in homes. But, it is not a professional development seminar. It is more like you and your neighbor making idle chat about the best way to get rid of crabgrass.

i didn't mean for the oberg piece to be of any info except to me that i'm so naive about certain things, like the info on alarms. the last captain at mykawa road i found to be eye opening about how bold they are. i don't think burglars are organized like a frat and target a specific homeowner (unless there's a nice car in the driveway perhaps) but i do believe they talk about areas where crime is easy.

[bachanon]

musicman, I saw the same piece on abc13 last month. Oberg reported most of the same things I have heard and learned over the years.

A couple of things. You left out the fact that Oberg reported that most burglaries occur within a short distance of where the burglar lives. While that could mean nothing in central Houston, where Memorial is a short distance from Gulfton, it is a big deal in the Woodlands, where some neighborhoods are 45 minutes or more from the "lower elements" that Vertigo referred to. Also, I think the communication in the criminal community is vastly overstated. There is a belief by many (especially young DAs) that the criminals are organized like a frat, where they meet regularly to discuss the overthrow of the homeowner. It is much more organic and disjointed than that. Bored teens and 20-somethings looking for something to do, or a little cash may come up with a scheme to break into neighbor's homes. Crackheads, while lighting a pipe, might tell each other where to find copper, or where the valuables are hidden in homes. But, it is not a professional development seminar. It is more like you and your neighbor making idle chat about the best way to get rid of crabgrass.

i agree with most of what your saying, red. however, since kuykendahl and gosling were completed through to sterling ridge and indian springs, and the woodlands parkway was opened up to 2978 between tomball and magnolia, it seems that crime has increased in the area. there are loads of trailer parks and low income areas across spring creek south of the newer neighborhoods. these "lower elements" are within five minutes, not forty-five minutes.