Houston bar owners plead to city council for help amid growing break-ins: 'It's really frustrating'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Tired of sleeping in their bars with shotguns, owners pleaded with Houston City Council to do more to combat the rising bar break-in numbers.

Houston bar break-ins rise after declining during pandemic

The ABC13 Neighborhood Safety Tracker looks at crime statistics across Houston. Our data can look into the number of burglaries and break-ins that took place at bars and nightclubs in the city.

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The tracker shows there were 175 cases that the Houston Police Department dealt with in 2019. During 2020, those numbers fell to 144. In 2021, it fell further to 121. However, in 2022, it rose to 191.

Lack of HPD response adding to frustrations, owners say

One of the places hit in 2022 was the Star Sailor. Owner Marin Slanina said her bar was broken into over a 48-hour period in May.

Months after reporting it to HPD, Slanina said she has not received an update.

"There are countless numbers of small business owners in this great city, and all of us are dealing with this same issue and not receiving the support that we know the city has the resources to provide," Slanina said.

Slanina took the message to city hall. She went with other bar owners who are also dealing with break-ins, and not hearing back from officers.

"It's gotten to the point where physically it's started to affect me," Coaches Pub owner, Robert Curry, explained. "I get stomach aches when I even think about it. It's really frustrating, and it's started to make me angry."

One of the bar owners who spoke did hear from the police, but it wasn't until after she signed up to speak the other week.

SEE ALSO: Only on 13: Business owners frustrated by city response to brazen break-ins downtown

When Eyewitness News asked HPD about the bar break-ins, a spokesperson said they were aware of the increased crime, especially in the Midtown area. They said they've increased patrols during peak hours to try and combat this. They also plan to work with bar owners.

Bars, city council differ on solutions to stop break-ins

City council members said they talked to HPD about bar break-ins.

"They're (HPD) looking at when these break-ins are happening, and that way, they will add resources at those times to try to patrol and target and arrest those who are breaking into these businesses," Councilmember Robert Gallegos said.

Bar owners believe more can be done, including possibly offering money to help make security upgrades.

"Maybe some grant issuing for these small businesses, very much impacted, to be able to up our security that would be great," Slanina explained.

Bar owners say it's not just resources, but arrests. They see the same suspects targeting several bars.

"Until we can change that narrative and there are consequences to it, then it's not going to stop," Curry said. "It's not."

City council members say that in order to get more arrests, HPD is hiring more officers. They've added a $10,000 sign-on bonus.

"We were just at a recent cadet graduation," Councilmember Abbie Kamin said to one of the bar owners during the council meeting. "We're doing $10,000 signing bonuses. More is needed. I don't want to diminish your call for assistance."

But owners feel that may take time.

"That's going to take years to make those changes, and our issues are now," Curry said. "Which is why they pleaded with the council to try and get these types of crimes from happening."

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