Why Southwest Houston?

[TAK]

Everyone needs to see that Texas Monthly article! Especially state leaders. I was so tempted to kick in my monitor!

Actually I am kind of glad I am not a naive unsuspecting person anyway. When I am in a business then someone walks in and appears to look like that I keep my guard up. Not so much afraid but just cautious especially if they come in 2 & worse 3 or more. People really need to watch shows like AMW & Dateline and news. I simply don't want to be rubbed out because of merely being a witness to a crime. These cowards usually only act out in groups. The other day some civic leader had the gall to say that the US created the gang lifestyle and illegals are forced to take up this way of life? That they are really moral religious people but WE forced this on them? Poor little ganstas.

Why do state leaders need to read that story? What are they going to do?

YOU don't have much to worry about Vertigo. But keep watching the news and getting the shock of one "gangster" killing another.

You are more likely to die in a car crash, choke on a steak, or get bit by a dog than get killed by a "gangster"...

unless you're a gangster.

[Vertigo58]

Everyone needs to see that Texas Monthly article! Especially state leaders. I was so tempted to kick in my monitor!

Actually I am kind of glad I am not a naive unsuspecting person anyway. When I am in a business then someone walks in and appears to look like that I keep my guard up. Not so much afraid but just cautious especially if they come in 2 & worse 3 or more. People really need to watch shows like AMW & Dateline and news. I simply don't want to be rubbed out because of merely being a witness to a crime. These cowards usually only act out in groups. The other day some civic leader had the gall to say that the US created the gang lifestyle and illegals are forced to take up this way of life? That they are really moral religious people but WE forced this on them? Poor little ganstas.

Again, best solution...

[TheNiche]

The fact that the illegals are here is NOT the problem - The problem has to do with the environment that the Southwest Houston kids live in. The environment with little social cohesion and the lack of protection from authority figures leads to the formation of a desire to join gangs from kids.

...or to sum it up: Poor people → Crime

Reduce the number of poor people and you will reduce the rate of crime. There are several ways to accomplish that.

[VicMan]

Well, the number of poor people isn't all of the problem - There are several poor neighborhoods that hold a sense of community. They are superior to the SW Houston apartment complexes because, in those complexes, people do not have pride in community. Notice the article and how it mentions how there are NO amenities geared towards children in those complexes. The complexes were originally exclusively for adults.

...or to sum it up: Poor people → Crime

Reduce the number of poor people and you will reduce the rate of crime. There are several ways to accomplish that.

[westguy]

...or to sum it up: Poor people → Crime

Reduce the number of poor people and you will reduce the rate of crime. There are several ways to accomplish that.

With a nuclear bomb, right?

Should we call the FBI?

[TheNiche]

Well, the number of poor people isn't all of the problem - There are several poor neighborhoods that hold a sense of community. They are superior to the SW Houston apartment complexes because, in those complexes, people do not have pride in community.

Cite examples, please.

[VicMan]

Cite examples, please.

The East End?

http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=2006_4244990 states that "The nonprofit group, which has a $1.2 million budget, just moved its offices from Houston's East End to the southwest, where the "issues" are and where gangs are flourishing."

The East End has mainly homeowners and has several community power brokers. See, homeownership = stability - Many in the Southwest Houston apartments move from apartment to apartment, and a community cannot be formed with such a transient population.

[TheNiche]

The East End?

http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=2006_4244990 states that "The nonprofit group, which has a $1.2 million budget, just moved its offices from Houston's East End to the southwest, where the "issues" are and where gangs are flourishing."

The East End has mainly homeowners and has several community power brokers. See, homeownership = stability - Many in the Southwest Houston apartments move from apartment to apartment, and a community cannot be formed with such a transient population.

I repeat: Poor people → Crime

The East End is dense, but not nearly as dense as much of southwest Houston. Moreover, it is slowly coming around, demographics improving in many areas (i.e. poor people being reduced in number, new ones and renters priced out, and established households aging). Multiply the number of poor people by any amount >1 within the same area, and you can expect the crime rate to rise in that area. That is a rule can be applied to SW Houston.

[Vertigo58]

With a nuclear bomb, right?

Should we call the FBI?

This should be just as effective

[Jeebus]

Well, the number of poor people isn't all of the problem - There are several poor neighborhoods that hold a sense of community.

If poor people aren't the problem, then what is? I can't think of one above average neighborhood (any neighborhood with homes starting at $300k or above) that has anything close to the same kind of crime problem as ANY of Houston's poor neighborhoods.

So if it's not the poor people that are committing the crimes, then who are? The wealthy & successful?

They are superior to the SW Houston apartment complexes because, in those complexes, people do not have pride in community. Notice the article and how it mentions how there are NO amenities geared towards children in those complexes. The complexes were originally exclusively for adults.

To me, the article painted an entirely different picture about pride. These thugs seem to have too much of it. So much so, that if you disrespect their neighborhood, or even apartment complex, they'll shoot you.

As for amenities for children, what ammenities could there be that if in place would deter children from a life of gangs & crime?

[VicMan]

If poor people aren't the problem, then what is? I can't think of one above average neighborhood (any neighborhood with homes starting at $300k or above) that has anything close to the same kind of crime problem as ANY of Houston's poor neighborhoods.

So if it's not the poor people that are committing the crimes, then who are? The wealthy & successful?

To me, the article painted an entirely different picture about pride. These thugs seem to have too much of it. So much so, that if you disrespect their neighborhood, or even apartment complex, they'll shoot you.

As for amenities for children, what ammenities could there be that if in place would deter children from a life of gangs & crime?

I feel like the reasons why adult thugs tend to go into poor neighborhoods in the first place is because the crooks can more easily move into those neighborhoods (which have apartment complexes with non-caring landlords) than wealthy neighborhoods.

Now, as for why children in those areas become crooks, they feel like there are no other "ways out" or feel disillusioned from life. Gangs, to them, are their form of "belonging" and meaning in life.

Now, the gang neighborhood pride is not the same thing as neighborhood pride in, say, West U or Afton Oaks. The neighborhood pride of a gang always seems more centered around the gang than the schools, parks, etc. The so-called neighborhood pride is nothing more to me than the self-glorification of the gangs.

[TheNiche]

Now, as for why children in those areas become crooks, they feel like there are no other "ways out" or feel disillusioned from life. Gangs, to them, are their form of "belonging" and meaning in life.

According to some of the folks with the City's gang task force, people frequently drop out of a gang when 1) they get a good job offer or 2) they have kids. Basically, gang members just need something to live for...something that makes them think twice about putting their life on the line. We can't help the second one along (and don't necessarily want to, because that'll only result in a fresh crop of gang members years from now), but it does highlight the importance of economic development.

[Vertigo58]

If poor people aren't the problem, then what is? I can't think of one above average neighborhood (any neighborhood with homes starting at $300k or above) that has anything close to the same kind of crime problem as ANY of Houston's poor neighborhoods.

So if it's not the poor people that are committing the crimes, then who are? The wealthy & successful?

To me, the article painted an entirely different picture about pride. These thugs seem to have too much of it. So much so, that if you disrespect their neighborhood, or even apartment complex, they'll shoot you.

As for amenities for children, what ammenities could there be that if in place would deter children from a life of gangs & crime?

Latest and greatest...is there no end in sight!

FBI agents are sharing information about the progress they've made in a gang task force that's focused on Houston.

While violent crime is up, agents are arresting more gang members and pulling more weapons off of the streets. To fight these organized criminals, Houston formed what

[DaTrain]

If Southwest Houston was its own city (not a part of regular Houston) and it is still bad, then this is the warning stigma: Southwest Houston is the worst city in Texas (worse than Oak Cliff in Dallas). They have the highest murder rate in Texas. Southwest Houston looks like somebody took Gary, Indiana and stuck it in the suburbs of Southwest Harris County. Southwest Houston ain't cool at all.

[hbcu]

Oak Cliff is dead....Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Duncanville, DeSoto is where Oak Cliff now resides

[Vertigo58]

Oak Cliff is dead....Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Duncanville, DeSoto is where Oak Cliff now resides

Maybe the Dallas city logo should be The Big D (for Death)

[TJones]

Add that to the murder of that guy at the car wash a few months ago at Wilcrest and Dairy-Ashford.

Where does Wilcrest intersect with Dairy Ashford ???

[Ralo]

.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Where does Wilcrest intersect with Dairy Ashford ???

In the TwiLight Zone

I'd have to say blame the apartments. Low income apartments are magnets for crime...no matter where in the city they are.

I agree to no end on this one.......

[Ralo]

.

[Jeebus]

Where does Wilcrest intersect with Dairy Ashford ???

He meant the gentleman that was killed in his car at the Greg Bingham car-wash behind the Food-A-Rama on the north side of Briar Forest, just east of Wilcrest.

[PureAuteur]

It's true that hungry people don't stay hungry for long but poor people are not the only ones committing the crimes. Enron execs, Martha Stewart, Pete Rose are examples of the wealthy committing crimes. In many ways, the impact of their crimes is more far reaching even though this type of crime is unrelated to the article.

True, but I'm not worried about Martha Stewart gunning me down at a gas station in southwest Houston because I accidentally looked at her the wrong way.

[musicman]

True, but I'm not worried about Martha Stewart gunning me down at a gas station in southwest Houston because I accidentally looked at her the wrong way.

but if you spilled red wine on her white carpet, i'd definitely run as fast as possible.

[TAK]

True, but I'm not worried about Martha Stewart gunning me down at a gas station in southwest Houston because I accidentally looked at her the wrong way.

Nor are you worried about someone at a gas station in southwest Houston stealing your retirement fund, stealing your salary, stealing your bonus, and sending you into bankruptcy... (yes, i'd prefer bankruptcy over death).

You're probably worried about neither, as most of those "shootings" in the southwest are between people who know each other, not just random HAIFers at the gas station, and Enron is no longer.

[westguy]

FWIW, the car wash shooting occurred either late at night or early in the morning. Those aren't typically safe hours for that kind of activity anywhere in the city.

[Jeebus]

FWIW, the car wash shooting occurred either late at night or early in the morning. Those aren't typically safe hours for that kind of activity anywhere in the city.

I believe it was around 7am. If that's not a "safe hour", I don't know what is.

[VicMan]

I believe it was around 7am. If that's not a "safe hour", I don't know what is.

Well, 7 A.M. is kinda borderline between "unsafe hour" and "safe hour." Now, if that happened at noon...

[Jeebus]

You're probably worried about neither, as most of those "shootings" in the southwest are between people who know each other..

The news reports most of the murders on the southwest side as gang-related, mostly retalitory strikes. I've noticed most on the southcentral/southeast side being random acts of violence between strangers, but both attacker & victim being from that area.

In fact, besides the Pizza-Hut guy getting shot in the face for his pick-up truck that happened a few months ago, I can't think of the last time the news reported an act of "random" violence in southwest Houston.

[gwilson]

First, SW Houston, as it is lovingly referred to is HUGE. It is the largest geographic area of Houston. I-10 on the north, I-45 to the east, First Colony/Sugarland on the south (and Sugarland is starting to be considered part of SW Houston lately), and out to Dairy Ashford and even hwy-6 according to some on the west. It is a fairly densely populated area as well.

Second, I've lived in SW Houston more than 20 years, and while parts of it aren't great, it is FAR from the ghetto danger zone it is represented as. Areas like Fondren SW, Alief, Forum Park, and even parts of Westchase aren't great, but the likelihood of you getting robbed, car-jacked or killed here is the same as any other part of Houston. I feel plenty safe walking down the streets of Sharpstown, or driving with the windows down.

I do agree that a bunch of these apartment complexes need to be razed and rebuilt or have something else put in the place. It will happen, just not immediately. Property values in the Sharpstown area, for example, have been on the rise steadily for a while now and they have started to increase sharply in the past few years. Private investment in the chinatown areas as well as people buying and remodeling homes in the area and public works projects paid for by the TIRZ and PID are helping with this. There is even new home construction starting (even if they are god awful sugar-brick houses). As this continues, property values will rise faster, causing rents to be raised and forcing out a lot of the rif-raf that is here. But they'll just end up in Westchase or Sugarland or Fondren SW/Belfort area.

I would like a can of gas and a match for all the crap along Gessner between Westpark and 59 tho. Not that I fear it is unsafe, it is just ungodly ugly.

To reiterate, the SW Side isn't as bad as it is portrayed in the news and it is a very loosely defined term which is thrown around indiscriminately. SW Houston has some of the cities most beautiful old neighborhoods, access to everything within minutes generally, and is, in general, a great place to live (at least the neighborhoods in Sharpstown are).

[PureAuteur]

I've always been intrigued by southwest Houston. I remember in the late 80s and 90s, it had a distinct identity and feel that was different from other parts of Houston. I think it still looks kind of cool, but some parts of southwest Houston just need to be destroyed and turned back into farmland. I'd love to see the city shrink in size a little bit, and it might even become more manageable and safer that way. Of course, people will always say, what do you do with all the displaced residents? To that I say, let them sink or swim. It's not like Houston is the only place on earth. If all these poor people came from other places, then they can go to other places again.

One thing I hated about how we handled Hurricane Katrina was how we drained all of our resources trying to help these people, when the best thing to do would be to help them minimally so that they can learn personal responsibility. In my opinion, overly assisting people treats them as if they were worthless, and then they start to develop a permanent mindset of dependence and victimhood. Sorry for getting a little off topic there.