Burglaries are up 20% in Houston since the city issued stay-at-home orders last month, according to the Houston police chief.
“Right now, burglaries have spiked 20%,” Police Chief Art Acevedo told Breitbart. “Some people are seeing the shutdown of businesses as a target-rich opportunity. Habitual burglars should not be released.”
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo signed an order this week to release up to 1,000 nonviolent criminals from the county’s jail because of coronavirus fears.
Hidalgo called it “a decision necessary for the health and safety of the community” and added that the jail is a “ticking time bomb” for the virus.
Acevedo, however, wants to know what the plan is for habitual criminals, according to Breitbart.
“What happens to these folks after they are released?” the chief asked. “What is the plan?”
“The last thing our community needs are decisions that further exacerbate public anxiety and risk to the people we serve,” Acevedo said. “Releases of persons charged with high-level offenses place the community in grave danger and must be prevented. Violent and habitual offenders (especially burglars) need to remain in quarantine in jail.”
Other states and cities have begun releasing prisoners over coronavirus fears, including in New York, where more than 50 inmates were released from a single prison, including three of whom were convicted of raping minors.
“It doesn’t make any sense. If you could present an argument to me that makes sense, I’m always willing to listen. But this doesn’t make any sense,” Patrick Phelan, chief of police in Greece, New York, said of the releases.
