(The Center Square) – Violent crime is the top concern for Houstonians ahead of November’s mayor election, according to polling. Many argue that judges releasing alleged violent criminals on bonds who then commit additional violent crimes is part of the problem.
One recent example occurred when Judge Hazel Jones of the 174th felony court released a 17-year-old on bond who was in possession of a machine gun on the condition that he “promise” not to join a gang.
This is after his previous bond was revoked in January.
The 17-year-old Jose Palacios was released on a $3,000 bond related to an Oct. 14, 2022, charge of injury to a child. After he was released, he violated a protective order and was arrested and charged again, this time with felony possession of multiple firearms, including a machine gun.
Last month, Palacios’ bond was reinstated. He’s out on three bonds totaling $78,000, Fox 26 News reported.
Fox News’ “Breaking Bond” series also reported on several 21-year-old defendants in Judge Jones’ court whom she recently released on $10,000 bonds. They were arrested for possessing enough alleged prohibited weapons and ammunition that could kill hundreds of people. One day after being arrested, they were released.
The prosecutor in the case told the judge they were “an extreme danger to the community” because of the kinds of weapons in their possession. “The switches enable these firearms to act as automatic weapons,” the prosecutor said, according to Fox News. Jones released them.
Within a few minutes of publication of this story, one KHOU 11 News headline read, “Video captures woman being tased and robbed at gas station in east Houston.” Another reads, “HPD search for gunman underway after man shot multiple times outside southwest Houston hotel.” Another, that the gunman had been found and shot dead.
ABC 13 Eyewitness News Neighborhood Safety Tracker lists 370 homicides over the past 12 months through Aug. 14. The yearly average, it states, is 394.
“The city averaged 7 homicides a week over the last 12 months,” it states. “In 2019, that number was 5 a week. One way to think about the danger: three years ago, the murder rate was 12.1 per 100,000 residents. That’s slightly less than the risk of dying in a vehicle crash in Texas.”
According to a 2022 Houston Police Department report, violent crime, which includes murder, rape and aggravated assault, was down by 8%. There were 435 murders last year compared to 477 in 2021. Auto theft was up by 11%; theft was up by 7%.
However, these numbers don’t tell the whole story, critics argue. Data is based on reported crime. Unreported crime and fewer officers on the street contribute to lower numbers, law enforcement officers have explained to The Center Square. Lower crime data doesn’t necessarily mean less crime, they explain.
The outlier in the data is kidnappings, which were up by 63% in 2022. The majority occurred in District A in Houston, in the northwest area of the city along I-10. Kidnapping and human trafficking crimes in this region were up by 153% and 100%, respectively, last year.
Crime remains the number one issue for Houstonians this fall when they’ll be voting for a new mayor. More than half of likely Houston voters say the city is “headed in the wrong direction,” according to a Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston poll.
The majority of Hispanics and Blacks, 68%, and 61%, respectively, said violent crime is a top concern. Overall, 83% surveyed said crime should be a top priority for the new mayor.
There are currently 14 candidates on the ballot, with state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, leading in polling. He’s made closing the “revolving ‘pinky swear bond’ and crime door” a priority of his campaign.
