This weeks crisis feels more personal to me because it is local. Since June, three African American women have been found near downtown Houston strangled to death. Two of the women were over 50, homeless, and found within a few blocks of each other. The other woman was 24. Police are trying to determine if these slayings are related.
The police department is being very careful in the statements they are making. They have said that they are working with the FBI and evaluating other strangulation cases. They also said that there is no DNA evidence linking the cases right now. They are being careful not to say or even insinuate this could the work of a serial killer. I think that is a very smart move because that would cause panic in Houston, especially among African American women. They have also advised people who run homeless shelters to stress to the women not to sleep on the streets. A reward has also been offered for information.
I think the statements that the Houston Police Department have made show they are handling the crisis very well. The statements show competence and caring. They also aren't ignoring the fact that these cases are similar. They acknowledge that fact but emphasize that there is no evidence to link the cases. To me, this shows that the Houston Police are honest and at the same time keeps the crisis from getting bigger.
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