December 8, 2023
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 | Cat DeLaura, Audience producer |
Best of the Bayou
Today we're talking about Houston's crime data...
If you read one thing: A majority of Houston voters say crime is their top concern ahead of Saturday's election, even as public safety officials and experts have cited data showing crime has declined in 2023. So what does the data actually show about the state of public safety in our city? And how does crime today compare to before the pandemic?
The big picture:
Between 2019 and 2023, the average number of daily crimes has gone down only slightly, dipping from about 622 crimes to 618.
The data behind these averages was provided by the Houston Police Department and detailed offenses against persons, property and society. It's important to note a single event could mean multiple offenses, if there are multiple victims.
Let's go deeper into each category.
Offenses against persons:
Person-level crimes are those committed against individuals, including murder, rape and assault. Crimes against persons increased during the height of the pandemic but dropped in 2022. So far in 2023, Houston has seen 183 average daily crimes against people, the same as last year.
Offenses against property:
These include crimes committed against property, usually of property owned by another, including robbery, bribery and burglary. These types of crimes dropped a bit during the height of the pandemic then rose back up in 2022. So far in 2023, 396 average daily crimes against property occurred, down from 408 in 2019.
Offenses against society:
Society-level crimes represent crimes that go against established rules and laws but that do not have a well-defined victim or property gain, such as gambling, prostitution and drug violations. Crimes against society have wavered over the past five years. In 2023, Houston Police made 39 average daily reports of this type of crime, essentially the same as in 2019.
- Explore a deeper analysis of Houston's crime data here.
Stay in the Loop
Photo by: Susan Barber
📰 Need to Know
- What does Houston's controller actually do? The controller serves as the city's chief financial officer and is in charge of making sure funds are available for whatever the City Council wants to approve. Here's what else the position is responsible for.
- Houston-Dallas high-speed train receives $500,000 for development. The funding is for the first stages of development of high-speed rail service between the two metro areas, with a stop described as being in the "Brazos Valley."
- $15-a-month hotspots to replace HISD's free Verizon partnership. HISD officials said any student without home Wi-Fi can inform their school administrator of the situation and receive a hotspot for free.
- AG Ken Paxton warns hospitals not to comply with judge's emergency abortion order. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned three Houston hospitals that they could still face penalties if they allow the procedure to happen.
💼 Business
- Tomlinson's take on Mark Cuban and drug prices: The Texas billionaire's prescription drug pricing revolution has brought CVS to heel, introducing desperately needed transparency and potentially lower prices into the U.S. health care system, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
- Houston can expect slower economic growth in 2024. The region can expect to add 57,600 jobs over the course of the next year, the Greater Houston Partnership said Thursday.
- A roundup of recent commercial real estate transactions around the Houston region: Engineering firm CobbFendley is moving its headquarters, while Portside Logistics industrial park landed its first tenant.
🚗 Outside the Loop
- Pickleball boom means Texas needs twice as many courts to meet demand. Texas will need to build more than 2,500 new pickleball courts to meet demand over the next five to seven years, according to a report from Pickleheads.
- The Puddery in Pearland announces temporary closure after 'Keith Lee Effect' and surge in customers. Lee raves about The Puddery's signature banana pudding and Oreo "Craffle," a mashup of a croissant and waffle, in his video that generated about 20 million views.
- Conroe's Hideaway Bar transforms into festive holiday pop-up. The pop-up bar will feature dazzling decorations from floor to ceiling, special limited edition holiday drinks, Christmas music and festive photo ops.
Point of View
Kissinger and Nixon didn't end the Vietnam War. Resistance did.
Some politicians, pundits and journalists may be singing Henry Kissinger's praises, but much of the world rightly reviles this man as a monster, writes one reader in a letter to the Editor.
- Amid Israel Hamas war, Houston interfaith leaders weep together. Even as anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim incidents increase across America, we urge all Houstonians not to let fear crowd out the light. Reach out to your neighbors, writes the Editorial Board.
- Don't trash the International Space Station. Around 2030, the International Space Station is slated to burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Instead of "deorbiting" the magnificent structure, why not boost it higher into space, write Dr. Greg Autry and Mark Whittington.
Houston vs. All Y'all
Photo by: Kirk Sides, Staff Photographer
Rockets at Nuggets: Five things to watch as Houston still seeks first road win.
The Rockets, winless in eight road games, travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets, who are 9-0 at home.
- Brittney Griner partners with ESPN and Disney to share her story. Griner also will give her first exclusive interview since leaving a Russian jail to ABC News' Robin Roberts.
- Texans report: Dalton Schultz, George Fant absent from practice. Their absence is a sign that both could potentially miss the Texans game against the Jets on Sunday.
Get Out
Photo by: Greg Morago
Acme Oyster House abruptly closes Montrose movie theater location.
In a Facebook post Thursday, the restaurant announced its closure was effective the same day, citing struggles in staffing, sourcing product and inflation.
- Celeste Bedford Walker uses Houston as a stage for her historical drama. Walker's interest throughout her career as a dramatist has been about digging up what lies beneath. She's been a provocative, entertaining and innovative presence in Houston's theater scene for decades.
- MFAH's new, massive Simone Leigh sculpture highlights African diaspora. MFAH has become the first U.S. institution to acquire and permanently install work by Leigh, a Chicago-based artist.
Enjoy the weekend!
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