| The city of Houston gained worldwide recognition for | | | | criminal records and have committed no crimes here |
| taking in tens of thousands of evacuees from | | | | in Texas. But authorities have been concerned in |
| Louisiana fleeing Hurricane Katrina three months ago, | | | | particular by reports that hundreds of gang members |
| but among the displaced were some unwelcome | | | | from the New Orleans area intermingled with the |
| guests, violent criminals. Local, state and federal | | | | evacuees and came to Texas. Before Katrina, New |
| authorities are making progress in getting the criminal | | | | Orleans had one of the highest crime rates among |
| element off the streets. | | | | major U.S. cities. |
| The Houston Police Department, backed by state | | | | In a related development Monday, Texas Attorney |
| and federal law enforcement agencies, is moving | | | | General Greg Abbott announced that 13 fugitives |
| against violent criminals and gang members, many of | | | | from justice in Louisiana have been apprehended in |
| whom came here among evacuees fleeing Hurricane | | | | Texas in recent weeks. The 11 men and two women |
| Katrina in early September. Houston Police Chief | | | | are all wanted for violent criminal acts. Three of them |
| Harold Hurtt says these criminals from New Orleans | | | | are wanted for murder. |
| and other areas of the neighboring state have had a | | | | Attorney General Abbott says information reluctantly |
| negative impact on Houston. | | | | provided by the Federal Emergency Management |
| "We are beginning to see more involvement in violent | | | | Agency (FEMA) helped in tracking down the fugitives. |
| offenses by the evacuees who came here from | | | | Most of them had applied for federal assistance |
| Louisiana," said Mr. Hurtt. | | | | following the disaster in September. FEMA initially |
| The Houston Police Chief says some of the Louisiana | | | | opposed opening its records to law enforcement |
| criminals may have been swept up recently as part | | | | investigators, but Mr. Abbott says the agency |
| of an operation that started six months ago, with | | | | relented after his office spent weeks demanding |
| federal assistance, to target violent criminals. | | | | access to the files. |
| "One way that we can stop repeat offenders is to | | | | Texas officials are also working with authorities in |
| make sure that they are not on the street and either | | | | Louisiana to track down dozens of convicted sex |
| in the county jail or state prison," he added. | | | | offenders who failed to register with authorities, as |
| There are around 100,000 evacuees from Louisiana | | | | required under the terms of their parole release. One |
| still living in the Houston area and tens of thousands | | | | man with a sex offense record in Louisiana was |
| more in other Texas cities like Dallas, Austin and San | | | | arrested in Dallas recently on charges of molesting a |
| Antonio. The vast majority of the evacuees have no | | | | child in that city. |