HOUSTON -- There's an intense crackdown on crime in a part of town where home invasions, burglaries and car break-ins are on the rise, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

"It appears to have gone downhill in the last six or eight months. In fact, we're actually considering a move from the Heights area," resident Rachel Brown said. "Just this week, we've had a series of, I guess, spray-painting of cars. I've had my tires slashed recently on my minivan, just outside my home. We've had our cars broken into and had a number of things stolen."

Brown is not alone.

"I want to share with you some alarming news," said Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt.

He said burglaries were up 44 percent in January. But since a community meeting last month, crime is down 17 percent.

"We're on the right track," he said. "Great things are happening."

Officers patrol the area regularly to show both the residents and the criminals that they're watching.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office, the Houston Police Department and other law enforcement agencies announced the Keep Houston Safe Initiative. It means police get to know the community and neighbors get to know the officers. "We want to demonstrate to you that we are concerned about the things that happen within the cities of Harris County," Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said.