A new $50 million initiative intended to improve neighborhood safety in areas of Harris County with prevalent crime and gun violence passed unanimously at the Oct. 12 commissioners court meeting.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said neighborhoods with higher levels of criminal activity and violence have often been neglected and received less investment than other parts of the county.
“Too often, blighted buildings, dark streets, unsafe and abandoned structures serve as incubators of crime and gun violence,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said at a press conference Oct. 12. “Places where families don't even have the benefits of a sidewalk to get to school or even simple things like air conditioning or trees to find comfort in the oppressive heat of summer—those are the places where the seeds of criminal activity often find refuge.”
The "Clean Streets, Safe Neighborhoods" initiative will improve street lighting, sidewalks and visibility in residential areas, as well as address abandoned structures and restore vacant lots, among other improvements.
