The "Katrina Effect"

'Katrina effect' blamed for rise in homicides

Violence among Hurricane Katrina evacuees, much of it occurring in southwest Houston neighborhoods targeted in a new anti-crime campaign, accounted for nearly a quarter of homicides in the city so far this year, police officials said Friday.

Since Jan. 1, police have investigated 124 homicides, 29 of which involved evacuees as victims or attackers, said Capt. Dale Brown of the Houston Police Department. There were 103 homicides over the same period last year; without the evacuee-related deaths this year, the city would have experienced a 7.8 percent decrease.

In the last four months of 2005, evacuees were victims or suspects in 18 homicides, accounting for 13 percent of such crimes during that period. A total 336 killings were investigated last year, representing a 22 percent increase over 2004.
"As it relates to murders, there's a definite Katrina effect, and it's most noticeable since December," Brown said...read more here

Did anyone NOT think this was going to happen. I have family in New Orleans and I'm well-familiar with the lower 9th ward and some of the other areas hit the hardest by Katrina. I remember the first time I heard that Houston was 'opening its arms to welcome the victims of Katrina'. My first thought...'they're gonna regret that'. Seems as though I'm beginning to be proven right.

I also remember many of the lib and black leadership accusing the media of portraying the victims wrongfully, as thugs and criminals. I wonder what they'd say about these Houston crime statistics?