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In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the first cities to respond and offer housing to displaced residents was Houston, TX. Many of the nearly 250,000 evacuees (150,000 still remain) have thanked Houston by helping bring the total number of homicides this year to the highest in over a decade.

At least 65 slayings in 2006 have been classified as Katrina-related, meaning either the victim, suspect or both evacuated to Houston after Katrina. Police have not kept records of how evacuees have affected crime rates other than homicide. The murder rate began to rise at the end of last year, when the city recorded 334 homicides. During the previous 10 years, Houston never exceeded the 316 slayings counted in 1995.

They’ve still got a long way to go to match 1981, when there were 701 killings. Still, it’s sad.

Read More: Houston homicides spike; evacuees cited