Houston residents worried about violent crime increase

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Violent crime is up all across Houston and residents are feeling the effect.

Five Houston area law enforcement officers have been killed or injured in the past five days.

"This is not a war out here," said Glen Simpson, who lives in Fifth Ward, "but they're making it into one."

Three Houston police officers were shot on January 28, after a police chase and stand-off in southeast Houston. Police believe the suspect may have used a weapon with a small switch added, allowing him to rapidly fire dozens of shots at a time.

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"They got a gun that might shoot five, six times and you got somebody shooting 30 times at one time, so what you want them to do? Police put on them, too? Then you got trouble," said Ellis Wilson, who lives in southeast Houston.

Houston's homicide rates have also gone up over the past year.

"It hurts seeing babies getting killed," Wilson said. "People getting shot in their bed through the windows. Innocent people dying for no reason."

"The city is beautiful. We are all loving people, but what I don't like about it is the ones that are messing it up, who are making it bad for everybody," said Simpson.

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