HOUSTON – Launched in February 2022, One Safe Houston addresses crime using a holistic approach.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said while the results show we are headed in the right direction, the work to make our streets safer is never done.
“It is a work in progress. You never claim mission accomplished,” Turner said.
In the year since One Safe Houston was rolled out, murders, rape and robberies are all down, according to Turner.
He also added that Houston beat every major city in violent crime reduction, and even tweeted about it over the weekend.
Turner said murders in Houston are down 8.8% from 2021, rape cases are down by 19.5% and robbery cases are down by 9.1%.
“It is HPD providing more overtime, putting more boots on the ground; it’s the greater utilization of technology and it’s the gun buyback program initiatives,” Turner said.
It’s also due to technology, like the Shotspotter Pilot Program that detects and locates gunfire to help catch criminals, along with efforts to address a strained court system plagued by criminal case backlogs, and close to $30 million in crisis intervention for mental health and another $10 million to help curb domestic violence and abuse.
“It’s important that we continue to support these things and look at these things in a holistic approach,” said Cesar Espinosa, Executive Director of Fiel Houston.
The holistic approach is why Espinosa agreed to be a part of it. He’s among the group of community and religious leaders serving as advisors to One Safe Houston. He added that with so many parts in play, moving forward in the fight for progress remains a complex issue.
“All the challenges that people have to deal with now could affect or either bring a downturn or an uptick in crime,” Espinosa said.