I sighted graffiti in May

[editor]

Let's refrain from mentioning the names of these groups on HAIF. As demonstrated in other threads, they thrive on this kind of publicity, and I'd rather not give them what they want.

[Gary]

All true.

and Gary you said you heard Sharpstown is a nice area? tisk, tisk, tisk. When you have time drive there stop and go in the mall then to Gulfton area. Take a camera.

Actually I said.... "I'm assuming from reading posts that Sharpstown wasn't bad". I'm more than aware what Sharpstown is like now. What I was asking in reference to Red's post was... Where were the hotbeds of activity in 81?

[musicman]

Yes Benton was 16, I did not say she was 13.

I thought the boy she stabbed, Gabriel Granillo, was 14. I guess I wrote 13 by mistake after seeing MS-13 or something. Houstonist reported that he was 14 and so did the Chronicle.

evidently there was a mistrial in the ashley benton case

[sevfiv]

evidently there was a mistrial in the ashley benton case

yup - not much info yet

http://www.click2houston.com/news/13595755/detail.html

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/kho...l.28460e75.html

[musicman]

sounds like depending how the jury voted, she could be retried or acquitted.

Edited June 29, 2007 by musicman

[VicMan]

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=...&id=5436163

Benton's attorneys assert that, even if she is let free, she will never be safe in Houston again. Do you agree with her attorneys?

Anyway, part of the reason why I posted the topic is that I want to know how to deal with behavior from street punks and inner city thugs if I encounter any activity (or remnants of activity, such as graffiti) while I travel to other neighborhoods outside of my normal turf to eat at specific restaurants or to perform special errands.

I have seen minor tagging in my area, but I never see specific thug graffiti.

Edited June 30, 2007 by VicMan

[musicman]

Benton's attorneys assert that, even if she is let free, she will never be safe in Houston again. Do you agree with her attorneys?

Anyway, part of the reason why I posted the topic is that I want to know how to deal with behavior from street punks and inner city thugs if I encounter any activity (or remnants of activity, such as graffiti) while I travel to other neighborhoods outside of my normal turf to eat at specific restaurants or to perform special errands.

I have seen minor tagging in my area, but I never see specific thug graffiti.

she'll sure be a target IMO.

It is great to report the graffiti if you can. i know there's a METRO stop by me with graffiti on it and it still hasn't been cleaned up even though it has been reported. i'll bet if it's private property, it would be a different story.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Maybe part of the reason people in Houston are so "uninformed" is that things are not as dire as Channel 2 News breathlessly makes it out to be. Last year's 379 murders sounds bad until you compare it to 1981's 701 murders. In 1981, Houston had 1.6 million residents. Now, it is 2.15 million, yet we have one-half the murders. The murder rate is ONE-THIRD what it used to be. It is up the last 2 years, and that causes concern, but it is nothing like it used to be. And, comparing LA's 30,000 gang members to Houston's 8,000 is a stretch. The definition of "gang member" can be pretty loose, as well. The actual number of hard core gang members is probably half that, or less.

Everyone knows where the trouble spots are. Those that enjoy living in a state of self-imposed paranoia are free to do so. It is a free country, and that includes being free to define life as whatever Channel 2 and FoxNews says it is....or not.

RedScare, I fear for your safety. You should heed the warnings of Vertigo and others here!

Personally, my wife and I have vowed to NEVER go back to the Heights again, due to an incident that happened two weeks ago.

My wife's truck was broken into a couple of weekends ago, right on Heights Blvd!!! Not only that, but when I lived in the Heights 12 years ago, my car got broken into there, and I also remember seeing graffiti AND Mexican teenagers (I know they were gangsters) walking in the streets back then. I doubt that the situation has improved in the last 12 years...I don't ever go to the Heights, but I bet it's an apocalyptic hell now, straight out of Mad Max (and not the "beyond Thunderdome" version, I'm talking the ORIGINAL, with the bad acting, cheap FX, and no Tina Turner to save it) Yeah, THAT BAD!

Anyhow, please consider this a warning to STAY OUT OF THE HEIGHTS!!! RedScare, get out of your denial and GET OUT OF THE HEIGHTS!!!

Edited June 30, 2007 by Original Timmy Chan's

[RedScare]

Holy Crap! I had no idea Houston ever had those kind of murder numbers.

I'm assuming from reading posts that Sharpstown wasn't bad. So where were the hotbeds of activity, and how did a city grow at such a rapid pace and decrease it's murder rate 50%? That seems astounding.

The force was much smaller in 1981. It has been awhile, but I believe it was in the 2500 range. The 701 murders that year gave Houston the infamous title of "Murder Capital of the US" for that year. The murder rate was 43.8 per 100,000 residents. Violent areas included the Bloody 5th Ward, 4th Ward, Near Northside, and the East Side, especially near the Ship Channel. The Southwest side was largely populated by yuppies in those NEW apartment complexes. This unwanted publicity spurred a massive police hiring spree, that eventuall bumped the force to over 5500. However, even with the massive number of new cops on the street, the number of murders from 1985-1994 totalled 4,944, an average of 495 murders per year.

In the mid 90s, the number of murders began declining rapidly, bottoming out at 252 in 2002, or a murder rate of 12 per 100,000 residents. This represented a 73% decline in the murder rate since the high in 1981, and a 50% decline in only 7 years. No one has been able to definitively explain the decline, some attributing it to the slowing of the crack epidemic and related gang wars, others to the decrease in unemployment. It is worth noting though, that the 701 murders in 1981 occurred at the height of Houston's Boom Town years.

Since the low point in 2002, the murder rate has crept up in each year since. Even though it got a lot of attention the last 2 years, the murder rate was up before the Katrina refugees arrived. Clearly, the gangsters that arrived with the evacuees has added to the total. Even with the higher totals, the murder rate is still down 60% from 1981. This year's rate appears to have levelled off, or even declined slightly. Again, no one can really explain why, though reports sre that some of the gangster have returned to New Orleans, and obviously some have been sent to prison.

I've not heard of many angry mobs surrounding the police at crime scenes. And cops are rarely indicted for their misdeeds, and even more rarely convicted, so I don't see the media crucifiction either. Hiring is difficult because police salaries lag behind the private sector. Even with these problems, HPD projects a net increase in the force this year, which is much better than the 700 net losses that occurred a few years ago. As for shooting intruders, and then dragging them into the house? Yes, I highly recommend dragging dead bodies across your carpet. You'll have untold hours of fun cleaning up the blood stains, and everyone knows that crime scene officers are so stupid that they cannot see the trail of blood leading from your porch inside your house.

As for me, the only gunshots I hear are at the police shooting range 200 feet from my house. However, I did lose 2 $6 plastic chairs 3 years ago...I've never really gotten over that.

[KinkaidAlum]

My 70 year old mother and her 68 year old best friend eat at Gorditas Aquascalientes at night on Bissonnet near Hillcroft at least once a month. They also spice it up sometimes by traveling to the location off of Irvington. When I am in town, I usually join them.

They are both honkies and drive nice cars. Neither carries a gun.

For the past 10 years, my mother, two sisters, 11 year old nephew, 9 year old niece, and I head to Cuney Homes near Texas Southern to pass out goodie bags of food, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, school supplies, etc... for Thanksgiving. We literally walk through the projects going door-to-door looking for families in need. We've never had any trouble at all and have even been invited in to people's homes to enjoy their feasts.

How sad it must be to live in so much fear that you can't venture into a neighborhood or walk down a street.

[Jeebus]

For the past 10 years, my mother, two sisters, 11 year old nephew, 9 year old niece, and I head to Cuney Homes near Texas Southern to pass out goodie bags of food, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, school supplies, etc... for Thanksgiving. We literally walk through the projects going door-to-door looking for families in need. We've never had any trouble at all and have even been invited in to people's homes to enjoy their feasts.

How sad it must be to live in so much fear that you can't venture into a neighborhood or walk down a street.

What time of day are you passing out toothpaste? I sure as hell know a bunch of white yuppies aren't walking around Cuney Homes after dark. Also, if you didn't see the drug sales going on out in the open (in the middle of the day), then you'll need to go get a vision test asap.

If you're truly feeling brave, then try passing out toothpaste at Kelley Square in Southpark, at Calhoun & Pershing. You could also try any of the MS-13 hangouts along Glenmont & Gulfton, between Westward & Chimney Rock.

My 70 year old mother and her 68 year old best friend eat at Gorditas Aquascalientes at night on Bissonnet near Hillcroft at least once a month. They also spice it up sometimes by traveling to the location off of Irvington. When I am in town, I usually join them.

They are both honkies and drive nice cars. Neither carries a gun.

As for eating tacos at Hilcroft & Bissonnet, that's hit or miss. I would dine there at night, but why roll the dice when you can find authentic Mexican food just as good, if not better, in safer areas of town? Maybe your mom is just trying to fufill her need for excitement & adventure?

I'm assuming from reading posts that Sharpstown wasn't bad. So where were the hotbeds of activity, and how did a city grow at such a rapid pace and decrease it's murder rate 50%? That seems astounding.

The force was much smaller in 1981. It has been awhile, but I believe it was in the 2500 range. The 701 murders that year gave Houston the infamous title of "Murder Capital of the US" for that year. The murder rate was 43.8 per 100,000 residents. Violent areas included the Bloody 5th Ward, 4th Ward, Near Northside, and the East Side, especially near the Ship Channel. The Southwest side was largely populated by yuppies in those NEW apartment complexes.

I've been told that it was a belt of crime that seemed to be centralized in what's now Midtown, and spread both east and west towards 4th Ward & 5th Ward, looping north the Near Northside - all as you mentioned above. People say that Midtown was the worst though.

Of course I also hear stories about 3rd Ward running south to Southpark being a real bad place too.

[KinkaidAlum]

What time of day are you passing out toothpaste? I sure as hell know a bunch of white yuppies aren't walking around Cuney Homes after dark. Also, if you didn't see the drug sales going on out in the open (in the middle of the day), then you'll need to go get a vision test asap.

If you're truly feeling brave, then try passing out toothpaste at Kelley Square in Southpark, at Calhoun & Pershing. You could also try any of the MS-13 hangouts along Glenmont & Gulfton, between Westward & Chimney Rock.

As for eating tacos at Hilcroft & Bissonnet, that's hit or miss. I would dine there at night, but why roll the dice when you can find authentic Mexican food just as good, if not better, in safer areas of town? Maybe your mom is just trying to fufill her need for excitement & adventure?

I've been told that it was a belt of crime that seemed to be centralized in what's now Midtown, and spread both east and west towards 4th Ward & 5th Ward, looping north the Near Northside - all as you mentioned above. People say that Midtown was the worst though.

Of course I also hear stories about 3rd Ward running south to Southpark being a real bad place too.

First, why be stupid? Do you really think we'd be walking around Cuney Homes at night looking for kids to hand care packages out to? That makes no sense.

Secondly, of course I can randomly spot a drug deal. I can also spot drug deals inside the Galleria. What's your point?

Thirdly, there's no need for excitement and adventure taking place in order to eat at a friggin' restaurant. It's called not being a total pansy and not letting fear make every life decision for you.

How sad that so many tough-men on this board are bigger wusses than a 70 year old woman who was born and raised in River Oaks!

[Jeebus]

First, why be stupid? Do you really think we'd be walking around Cuney Homes at night looking for kids to hand care packages out to? That makes no sense.

Look you're the one that tried to make yourself sound brave & tough by bragging that once a year, on the middle of Thanksgiving day, you and a 70 year white woman pass toothpaste out in a quasi-ghetto that others are too scared to "venture" into.

Thirdly, there's no need for excitement and adventure taking place in order to eat at a friggin' restaurant. It's called not being a total pansy and not letting fear make every life decision for you.

How sad that so many tough-men on this board are bigger wusses than a 70 year old woman who was born and raised in River Oaks!

Theres a broad line between being a fearful-wuss, and being an intelligent adult who is aware of their environment. I've been all over this city, in almost every neighborhood. The difference is that I don't attempt to make others feel inferior by bragging about the places this white-boy's been.

[KinkaidAlum]

Yeah, that was my point, smart man.

It had nothing to do with refuting assinine racist drivel that is spread by certain posters that have NO IDEA of what they are talking about.

[Jeebus]

Look, I get your point. My point however was that you passing out toothpaste with your white 70 year old honkie[sic] mother on the middle of Thanksgiving day in Cuney Homes does NOT qualify it as a safe place to go hang out - no matter what color you are.

I agree that there are posters here afraid of their own shadow, and believe all the hype they hear about the rougher parts of Houston. I also feel however, that even though their perceptions may be exaggerated in some cases - that they are all based in truth.

So, my apologies. Getting back on topic, the fences to my neighborhood got tagged back in May as well. They said MS-13, but they were poorly painted. It looked as if it was the work of some teens from the suburbs that were just being mischievous - and not the work of "professional taggers" from an actual gang. Either way the HOA had it painted over by the end of the week.

[millennica]

assinine racist drivel that is spread by certain posters that have NO IDEA of what they are talking about.

good to hear that I'm not the only person who has felt this way...