They B-stupid to mess with Texas

The Houston Police Department (HPD) seems to have started making some dents in the problem evacuees. Apparently, eleven of the recent homicides have been linked to a rivalry between two New Orleans housing projects.

KHOU.com (registration required) described it this way:

Investigators say the suspects and victims lived in rival housing projects in New Orleans. They say the rivalry goes back for generations and was probably the motive for many of the murders.

Yup. These would be the criminals who held their own communities hostage for years in New Orleans, and I couldn't be more pleased that Houston is starting to stomp on them. It would be absolutely wonderful, in fact, if the evacueees who have been terrorized by these punks would step up and communicate with the HPD... because that will get the three they're still looking for off our streets that much faster. I don't know if somebody who calls himself "B-stupid" can read, but I really hope so. He - and others like him - need to fully understand this message from the HPD:

HPD homicide Capt. Dale Brown noted that many of those charged have extensive criminal records in New Orleans and that some had been jailed but were out on bail.

"We're going to hold them to the justice of Texas law," Brown said. "We think they are going to find things are a little bit different than in Louisiana. We're very aggressive in enforcing our laws in Texas. We're going to take care of our business."

And New Orleans? While the system is being overhauled there, you might want to figure out how to keep this from happening in the future:

Although all the suspects named Friday are considered to be "extremely violent," a New Orleans police official confirmed that Harris, whose name appears on some documents as "Ivory Harris," has been suspected in other slayings there. Capt. Juan Quinton with the New Orleans Police Department confirmed that Harris was arrested and charged in the May 12 slaying of Yoshio Watson, 30, during a child's birthday party. The shooting occurred during a period of escalating gun violence in the city.

A check by a criminal district clerk in New Orleans also found a second-degree murder charge on Harris was thrown out as well as a concealed weapons charge. No details could be determined.

"He's a recognized name in our law-enforcement community," said Quinton. "Somehow in a short time he was released. He's managed to elude the judicial system."

Harris was in custody in New Orleans after the Dec. 17 Houston homicide that he is a suspect in. New Orleans police arrested Harris in a criminal trespass case Jan. 4, but he was released that day on a $2,500 bond, according to jail records.

Harris cycled through the Orleans Parish jail at least six times last year after he was arrested on charges including disturbing the peace, illegal possession of a weapon and resisting an officer. Within days of each arrest, he was released on bail.

I think I understand now why NOLA has been dragging its feet to reopen those danged projects. What a cesspool. I feel SO sorry for the people who've been living in them, trying to raise families, while trying to stay alive in the face of this crime and violence... for years.

All in all, this was very good news for Houston, and ultimately for everyone. Keep it up!

Polimom said this @ 8:12 AM