By Matt deGrood
Source Houston Chronicle
Houston Councilman Willie Davis said he is launching a new initiative to pair pastors around the city with members of the Houston Police Department to combat a spike in violent crime in 2024, particularly among young Houstonians.
A Ministerial Advisory Board that holds monthly meetings with Mayor John Whitmire will steer the new initiative, called Police, Pastors and People, and will undertake different measures to develop in partnership with the African-American Police Officers League, Davis explained.
"We need some sort of intervention before this situation really spirals out of control," Davis said.
Hai Bui, a Houston-based civil rights activist, questioned the benefit of the new initiative and said he thought residents would be better-served if Davis had supported more accountability measures against the Houston Police Department. He said Davis previously hadn't supported a charter amendment that would've allowed city council members to add items to the agenda about public safety, instead of relying entirely on the mayor.
A review released earlier last week by the accounting firm Ernst & Young found the Houston Police Department reports higher rates of violent and property crimes than comparable cities, such as San Antonio and Los Angeles, despite better homicide clearance rates and officer retention.
Authors of the study recommended strengthening community policing measures and collaborating with education groups as means of reducing crime.
Davis shared National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) statistics showing the uptick in violent crime was especially stark in those younger than 20. Data shows more than 2,000 violent crimes in Houston were committed by young people, Davis explained.
As a whole, violent crime increased about 4.6% between 2023 and 2024, according to the NIBRS data provided by Davis. Eight of the 15 crimes against persons, most of which are violent, were up in 2024, including human trafficking, forcible sodomy, rape and aggravated assault.
The councilmember said meetings between pastors and police would help steer the initiative, suggesting it might culminate in regular visits to schools and colleges in the region or in community meetings.
After years of reacting to crime trends, it's important to be proactive, Davis said.
_____________
© 2025 the Houston Chronicle.
Visit www.chron.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
