Crime In The Heights

[TheNiche]

The most common outcome of having a gun in the house is shooting yourself or family member

That's why Heights Yankees shouldn't own guns. I've got an airsoft rifle and a bayonet that I'll sell her, though, if she likes. Picked it up due to roommates being uncomfortable with the shotgun around. It's very family-friendly.

Why people fantasize about this has very little to do with safety.

I could say the same about the Heights anti-Wal-Mart movement. But at the end of the day, I know that (for most people) guns and community activism are each recreational hobbies as much as anything. I'd like to think that mine has fewer anti-social repercussions than yours, however.

[OutfieldDan]

I don't think that statistics bear out that the most common outcome of having a gun in the house is shooting yourself or a family member. I live near Halbert Park where gangs hang out all the time. Well, lately it's been less of that since the Heights 8 gang was mostly all arrested a couple of months ago; caught burglarizing nearby homes. When I walk my dog, I'm always armed. I often keep my gun on my person after I get home with the dog. So far I haven't shot myself or my wife, and I feel safer when I'm outside after dark on the sidewalks. I feel safe at home too. Incidentally, two doors down a neighbor's front door was kicked in about a year ago for a robbery attempt during the daytime. The homeowner scared off the thief and I plan to do the same, [at least].

The thieves know that there are lots of residents like me who are armed and I believe that despite the frequent break-ins, there would be many more if they knew we didn't have guns to protect ourselves. The most common outcome of having guns in the home is peace of mind and lower criminal activity. I worry about hurricanes too, and I admit that a gun doesn't help much except during the aftermath like after Ike when the entire neighborhood went dark.

[J008]

I don't think that statistics bear out that the most common outcome of having a gun in the house is shooting yourself or a family member.

I had seen the stat somewhere else but can't recall exactly where.

http://wisqars.cdc.gov:8080/nvdrs/nvdrsDisplay.jsp

The above link will let you run the stats how you want. In 2009 there were ~8000 firearm deaths, 5000 of which from suicide. 138 of the firearm deaths were from a stranger. The population is limited to only 16 states.

If I can recall the source of the original I will forward, but you are much more likely to be on the wrong end of your own gun then a strangers'

[TheNiche]

Only 87 of those 8,027 firearms deaths were unintentional, and only an additional 75 had an undetermined intent.

Someone that intended to commit suicide and was successful at it was not on the "wrong" end of their own gun. They used the tool properly to carry out their own personal wish.

Its also important to point out, I think, that many crimes are committed within an extended family or between neighbors, friends, or business associates. "Stranger danger" is exaggerated.

Edited January 13, 2012 by TheNiche

[Marksmu]

Family violence, or something like that then yes your stat may be true. However a thief using your gun against you is highly unlikely if you know how to use your gun and keep your guns in a safe or other locked area where they can not access them.

All these statistics anti-gun lobbies get from "studies" are e extremely suspect in my opinion.

If I can recall the source of the original I will forward, but you are much more likely to be on the wrong end of your own gun then a strangers'

[J008]

Only 87 of those 8,027 firearms deaths were unintentional, and only an additional 75 had an undetermined intent.

Someone that intended to commit suicide and was successful at it was not on the "wrong" end of their own gun. They used the tool properly to carry out their own personal wish.

Its also important to point out, I think, that many crimes are committed within an extended family or between neighbors, friends, or business associates. "Stranger danger" is exaggerated.

Agree with you "wrong" is a bit subjective term for me to use.

Edited January 13, 2012 by J008

[RedScare]

Family violence, or something like that then yes your stat may be true. However a thief using your gun against you is highly unlikely if you know how to use your gun and keep your guns in a safe or other locked area where they can not access them.

All these statistics anti-gun lobbies get from "studies" are e extremely suspect in my opinion.

No worse than pro-gun "studies". The facts are clear, and common sense backs them up. Easy access to a gun increases the risks of dying by it, whether self-inflicted, accidental, from a family member or friend, or by a stranger. Obviously, those who do not own guns cannot die by it. You may find the risk acceptable, but trying to claim that it is safer displays extreme ignorance or simply an unwillingness to accept the truth.

[J008]

All these statistics anti-gun lobbies get from "studies" are e extremely suspect in my opinion.

These stats are from the Center from Disease Control for 2000-2009 (mostly Bush years).

And reported by the following states ( a fair mix of gun friendly states in there).

AK, CO, GA, KY, MD, MA, NJ, NM, NC, OK, OR, RI, SC, UT, VA, WI

Until Charlton Heston starts keeping track of violent deaths in the United States I will have to rely on these.

[RedScare]

The thieves know that there are lots of residents like me who are armed and I believe that despite the frequent break-ins, there would be many more if they knew we didn't have guns to protect ourselves. The most common outcome of having guns in the home is peace of mind and lower criminal activity. I worry about hurricanes too, and I admit that a gun doesn't help much except during the aftermath like after Ike when the entire neighborhood went dark.

Urban gun owner myth. Burglars target homes precisely because the believe valuables, such as cash, jewelry, and GUNS will be located inside. Far from dissuading the burglar, it encourages them. Fear of confrontation, whether armed or unarmed, IS a big reason that most burglaries are committed during the day, when the burglars expect the home to be unoccupied, however. Given that Marksmu's well armed fortress was burglarized, and my unarmed, unalarmed shack has not, I would suggest that a gun in the house is not a precursor to lower criminal activity. But, again, that's all part of the fantasy of owning guns. Since it makes you feel better, I support your right to own one...or more.

[Marksmu]

Guns are indeed one of the most stolen items. Thieves love to steal guns...especially handguns, they have a massive black market. I do not believe I am less likely to be broken into because I have guns...I am just less likely to be a victim personally ( as opposed to the house) because of the guns.

Every gun in my house is safely locked inside a large extremely heavy gun safe. A thief is unlikely to spend the time necessary to get into it...I imagine it would take about an hour to get through using a good torch. By the time he had cut through the safe the fire department would likely have already arrived, and the guns would be trashed.

Compared to the value of the rest of the junk in the house - The guns are quite expensive. If you take the guns out of the house all I have that a thief might want is 3 older TV's..probably worth a cumulative $200 or so total....its the garage that I want to keep safe now. Tools are worth alot more than TV's, are smaller and easier to sell.

Urban gun owner myth. Burglars target homes precisely because the believe valuables, such as cash, jewelry, and GUNS will be located inside. Far from dissuading the burglar, it encourages them. Fear of confrontation, whether armed or unarmed, IS a big reason that most burglaries are committed during the day, when the burglars expect the home to be unoccupied, however. Given that Marksmu's well armed fortress was burglarized, and my unarmed, unalarmed shack has not, I would suggest that a gun in the house is not a precursor to lower criminal activity. But, again, that's all part of the fantasy of owning guns. Since it makes you feel better, I support your right to own one...or more.

[heights_yankee]

Unless your shotgun has a much shorter barrel length than is legal, I'm guessing that he's never fired it at a paper target at close distance. The grouping of pellets at any meaningful interior distance is still so tight that you must still aim. Firing blindly into the dark is dangerous, irresponsible, and likely ineffective.

Shotguns are still a home defense weapon of choice, but primarily because you can use ammunition with poor wall penetration, like birdshot or smaller-diameter buckshot. I recommend #1 buckshot for your situation. It'll probably penetrate a sheetrock wall, but probably won't penetrate your exterior walls and retain much destructive power. And don't forget that you are responsible for any collateral damage caused by a bullet that you fire from your house that leaves your house.

If you are a gun owner, you should be a responsible gun owner. Try taking a gun safety course, whether sponsored by the NRA or not. Being competent and confident about the use of a defensive tool is what makes it effective; otherwise, you're probably better without.

Niche is entirely correct. If you have not shot your gun literally hundreds, if not thousands of times to the point that raising it, aiming it, and firing it are one smooth collected action without any hesitation then you are probably better off not confronting someone unless you have to....I hunt birds all the time, I am a good shot with a shotgun, I do not even think about it when I pick it up. The motion of loading, removing the safety and firing are all done usually without even looking at the gun....and usually with one hand.

Well, I expected that it was easy to see the comment was partly tongue in cheek. No, we are not NRA type people. We believe in limitations on who can buy guns and how easily they can be procured. He would meet all the requirements most gun control extremists would impose if they could. He knows very well how to use a gun and has many times since the 1st when he was about the age of my older son- for hunting, not defending our home thank goodness. I would never venture to pick them up and don't even know where he hides the keys for them. Presumably, it is somewhere neither a thief nor our small children would have easy access to.

[heights_yankee]

Its also important to point out, I think, that many crimes are committed within an extended family or between neighbors, friends, or business associates. "Stranger danger" is exaggerated.

Totally agree. The last few shooting deaths that were widely discussed amongst the mom set, when families were ready to flee to Cypress, were familiar-to-the-victim shootings.

[OutfieldDan]

Urban gun owner myth. Burglars target homes precisely because the believe valuables, such as cash, jewelry, and GUNS will be located inside. Far from dissuading the burglar, it encourages them. Fear of confrontation, whether armed or unarmed, IS a big reason that most burglaries are committed during the day, when the burglars expect the home to be unoccupied, however. Given that Marksmu's well armed fortress was burglarized, and my unarmed, unalarmed shack has not, I would suggest that a gun in the house is not a precursor to lower criminal activity. But, again, that's all part of the fantasy of owning guns. Since it makes you feel better, I support your right to own one...or more.

It does make me feel better, thank you. I'm not so sure personal gun ownership reducing crime is a myth - for me, it makes sense to carry. I used to be anti-gun and argued against the concealed carry law for Texas. I really did. I was sure that these concealed weapons were going to result in more gun accidents, more road rage killings, more stolen guns, more murders of all types. I argued vigorously on the Internet - at that time with usenet. Then I got a dog that needed to be walked at night; then we moved into the Heights and experienced the gang activity; then there was no gun armageddon - I was flat out wrong about that.

The fact that I'm armed when I'm out at night makes me more aware of my surroundings - it's my responsibility. BTW, you're welcome that I'm out there. I've called the police a couple of times about suspicious activity and once interrupted some thugs who were defacing the playground equipment in the park with grafitti. They ran away - I did not shoot them.

[SilverJK]

My guns are purely to fend off the impending Zombie invasion.

[Ross]

Every gun in my house is safely locked inside a large extremely heavy gun safe. A thief is unlikely to spend the time necessary to get into it...I imagine it would take about an hour to get through using a good torch. By the time he had cut through the safe the fire department would likely have already arrived, and the guns would be trashed.

It takes about 10 minutes with a sawzall and a good blade to cut into the side of most gun safes. With a torch, less than that. Fortunately, most crooks are of the snatch and grab mindset, where adding difficulty makes them leave. Here's a good link to gun safe information http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html

[fwki]

Agree with most, if not all, of the opinions here, that is I can understand the rationale people have for their views. However, I played a mind game and concluded that there would be no way I could pull the trigger on a thief trying to flee with my stereo. The trade-offs , emotional, financial, legal, etc. don't balance in my mind or conscience. I dont know how many of you have ever killed another human, but I don't think it would be gratifying in almost any situation.

And if I'm not going to shoot, why pull the gun and potentially escalate a bad situation? And if I am not going to pull the gun, why have the gun for that situation, which is highly unlikely given I don't patrol the hood sober anyway? (No, I didnt play the family/hostage mind game, just the much more common breaking and entering game). And the chances of actually finding myself in a more critical situation are, well, you know. So I arrived at my global view that there would have to be some other reason to have a gun, hobby/sport etc. or just to feel safe. With 3 kids, wife and crazy me in the house the presense of a loaded gun would make me feel rather unsafe.

EDIT: Just to show the gods have a sense of humor, yesterday a thief stole my DirectTV multiswitch off the un-gated side of my house, the day before the Saints divisional playoff game. I have insurance for that and the installer is on his way.

Edited January 14, 2012 by fwki

[s3mh]

1400 block of Ashland had someone kick in the door and rob them during the day when no one was home. Some people reported seeing a white van and a guy wearing an orange vest pretending to be a contractor in the area at the time of the robbery.

[VicMan]

The idea that the "thug life" is an acceptable form of ethnic identity might be seen in some ivory tower university professor's writings, but I think it's safe to say that the average Joe of any ethnic group would find real "thug life" to be menacing and embarrassing.

The comments - I don't think they could even be real...they have to be planted for entertainment. Nobody, not even a complete moron incapable of feeding themselves, could possibly be that stupid....sadly though, I think its just part of the *thug* lifestyle. Remember though that thug life....its a culture - you need to respect the culture, else you be a racist!

[heights_yankee]

New criminal watch from Heights Kids:

posted:

HPD calls him "the ghost", bc he disappears quickly and cannot be found. He walks around a neighborhood, scopes out targets. He will hit a house even if it has an alarm. For break-ins on our street (near whole foods) he used (secured, but no sensor) doggie doors. He steals items that can fit in his bag - - laptops, iPads, cameras, jewelry.

He strikes during the day - 9:30am, 3pm, 4pm...

He might have an accomplice. He's been seen calling someone on his cell as he left the scene of a break-in.

IF YOU SEE HIM CALL HPD ASAP. He was spotted here Monday and they sent out a helicopter to try and find him. Unfortunately they were unsuccessful, and he returned this morning for another break-in. there was a suspicious white ford on the street around the time of the break-in

[RedScare]

Near Whole Foods? I am reasonably confident that this guy is not burglarizing Heights residences if he is hitting neighborhoods several miles away.

[heights_yankee]

Near Whole Foods? I am reasonably confident that this guy is not burglarizing Heights residences if he is hitting neighborhoods several miles away.

the whole foods on waugh is pretty close to the heights. close enough that people from the heights could see him if they, say, ever go to that whole foods. or any of the parks around there. or go to watch the bats. or jog the trial along the bayou. or have other friends in that neighborhood.

[TheNiche]

the whole foods on waugh is pretty close to the heights. close enough that people from the heights could see him if they, say, ever go to that whole foods. or any of the parks around there. or go to watch the bats. or jog the trial along the bayou. or have other friends in that neighborhood.

Wow, first y'all jumped the White Oak Bayou to get at the Wal-Mart, now you're jumping Buffalo Bayou to get at the Whole Foods on Dallas Street. Meanwhile, Realtors have jumped 610 to the north and swallowed up Garden Oaks and Oak Forest. At its furthest extent, the Heights is now about 8 miles wide, which is about as wide as the length of the West Loop, to put it all in perspective.

The Heights is the neighborhood that swallowed Houston. Montrosians and East Enders should depict that sentiment on yard signs. Maybe the signs could be yellow and feature an anthropomorphised McVictorian that's out to terrorize them!

[Marksmu]

If only it were legal to allow a fully autonomous gun to be integrated into the camera...

just swap out the paintball gun with a smaller caliber one...say a .22 and buff up your fence and your good to go. Also has the added benefit of reducing the number of feral cats pissing on your patio furniture....down side - furniture full of holes....its a small price to pay to not have to sit in cat piss though.

New criminal watch from Heights Kids:

posted:

HPD calls him "the ghost", bc he disappears quickly and cannot be found. He walks around a neighborhood, scopes out targets. He will hit a house even if it has an alarm. For break-ins on our street (near whole foods) he used (secured, but no sensor) doggie doors. He steals items that can fit in his bag - - laptops, iPads, cameras, jewelry.

He strikes during the day - 9:30am, 3pm, 4pm...

He might have an accomplice. He's been seen calling someone on his cell as he left the scene of a break-in.

IF YOU SEE HIM CALL HPD ASAP. He was spotted here Monday and they sent out a helicopter to try and find him. Unfortunately they were unsuccessful, and he returned this morning for another break-in. there was a suspicious white ford on the street around the time of the break-in

http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/

[heights_yankee]

Wow, first y'all jumped the White Oak Bayou to get at the Wal-Mart, now you're jumping Buffalo Bayou to get at the Whole Foods on Dallas Street. Meanwhile, Realtors have jumped 610 to the north and swallowed up Garden Oaks and Oak Forest. At its furthest extent, the Heights is now about 8 miles wide, which is about as wide as the length of the West Loop, to put it all in perspective.

The Heights is the neighborhood that swallowed Houston. Montrosians and East Enders should depict that sentiment on yard signs. Maybe the signs could be yellow and feature an anthropomorphised McVictorian that's out to terrorize them!

Yeah, because people from the Heights never leave the Heights so there is no way they would ever be in a neighborhood only 2 miles away and possibly see this guy. Yawn.

[JJxvi]

From a personal standpoint, I attended Waltrip and when you know people from all over that zone it's not a stretch for people to think of the northern half of Cottage Grove, Timbergrove, Lazybrook, Shady Acres, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Candlelight, Shepherd Park Plaza, the Eastern portions of the Heights along Shepherd as all being part of one big neighborhood.

I kind of consider Timbergrove, Shady Acres as being "Heights area" but I never considered anything outside the loop (which was Oak Forest to me even in Candlelight, SPP, Garden Oaks) or south of I10.

When I lived in the Rice Military area, I kind of considered everything between Buffalo Bayou and I10 all the way from Memorial Park almost all the way to downtown as "the neighborhood"

Edited January 30, 2012 by JJxvi

[MOpens]

I know it happens less than my mind tells me it does, but it seems the odds of a thread on the HAIF - Heights page evolving into a discussion about defining what is and is not in the Heights are pretty high. Which reminds me, we STILL do not have our nice new streets signs confirming that the Heights South Historic District, which has clearly defined boundaries, is indeed an historic district.

[Marksmu]

Walking the dogs today I saw the police going through three new homes under construction at the corner of Waverly and 13th...looks like someone decided to break into them over night...not sure what they took but the home they were concentrating on the most was nearing completion....I know from walking by every day that they had completed the interior cabinetry, trim, and floors...There were a couple of police cars out front and they were going through each house...by the time I rounded the corner the constable had shown up as well.

Does not sound like the same MO as the guy who is hitting garages and doggy doors, but its yet another burglary.

[SilverJK]

saw an article today about fiesta getting robbed last night. They apparently crashed through the wall and robbed the pharmacy. Isn't that towards the Studewood side?

[heights_yankee]

saw an article today about fiesta getting robbed last night. They apparently crashed through the wall and robbed the pharmacy. Isn't that towards the Studewood side?

I hadn't heard about this today but did see a big hole in the Fiesta on the Studewood side. Crazy!

[SilverJK]

a bit exposed right? I mean, anyone driving by would have seen them doing it. Crazyness for sure