中国城连发暴力劫案 休城华人联署致市长公开信

　　休士顿一名越裔女8月30日在中国城百利大道看完医师，回到Memorial City Mall附近的家门口时遭三名非裔抢劫，随身背包及珠宝首饰等都被劫走。华裔律师陈文表示，嫌犯作案手法与日前发生的华裔遭劫案相似，她已联合多名侨界人士联名向休士顿市长特纳（Sylvester Turner）写信，希望引起重视，改善该区治安。

　　律师陈文表示，她的一位越裔女性朋友30日下午4时左右前往百利大道一家诊所看医师，回到家门口时，被三名驾车尾随的非裔抢劫。期间双方发生推搡，这位越裔女性的随身背包及珠宝首饰等财务都被抢走，身体也遭遇挫伤。陈文说，受害者认为是在看医师后，因驾驶宝马车遭尾随。事发后，受害者身心俱疲，精神状态一直不好，请假在家休息，也不愿多谈此事。

　　陈文认为嫌犯作案手法，与本报日前报导的西南区多宗华裔被抢相似，都是对随身财物较多的亚裔女性实施跟踪抢劫，且被嫌犯盯上的区域与之前的抢案发生地距离不远。陈文表示，她已经与美南山东同乡会会长马欣、中国人活动中心董事长陈珂及休士顿80-20促进会理事白先慎等侨领一起联名向休士顿市长特纳写信，希望引起市政府重视，从七个方面着手改善治安。

　　这些建议包括增加休士顿中国城区域的巡警数量，特别是晚8时至凌晨2时的巡警数量。其次是提高安保人员收入，建议增加警力开支，让休士顿警局有能力雇用更多警察；休士顿警局尚未定下正式警长，建议尽快定下警长一职，这样有助于全盘统筹规划。最后，建议增加中国城区域照明数量。除此之外，成立行动小组，帮助出身贫寒的青少年，让他们不至于因为贫穷失学流落街头而走上犯罪道路。学校设立与老师合作的专案部门，为学生提供品德、社会责任感教育。部分贫困生可能不会进入大学接受更深层次的教育，建议市政府与相关组织合作，成立职业技术学校。让他们能学习一项谋生本事，例如电焊、锁匠及电工等。

　　据陈律师透露，她已就近期突出的治安问题与包括警局高层在内的多管道取得联系，并交流意见。中国城区域内的中国人活动中心也已加装摄像头。目前市长特别助理Matthew Shailer已向陈律师确认收到华人联署公开信，并将与F区市议员Steven Le，J区市议员Mike Laster以及休斯敦警局官员碰头商议华人关心的治安问题。更系统的治安解决方案仍在与各方商讨中。

　　对于华人社区，陈文律师特别大家近期要提高警惕性，多多注意安全。另外，呼吁各位华人献策出力，一同参与维护社区安全。如果你有任何建议，欢迎与陈律师直接联系：lawyerjchen@yahoo.com 。

　　目前参与联署的有：陈文律师， 金润律师事务所； 马欣， 美南山东同乡会会长；丰建伟，心脏科医生，美南山东同乡会前会长；孙铁汉，美南山东同乡会前会长；陈灼刚， 广东总会董事长；陈柯，中国人活动中心董事长；范玉新，中国人活动中心执行长；李蔚华， 美南新闻报业电视多媒体集团董事长；白先慎，休斯顿大学教授，80-20 亚裔助选委员会委员；黄登陆，80-20 亚裔委员会委员；方宏泰，OCA 美华协会会长，陈皙晴， 上海联谊会会长；魏波，华夏学人协会会长；林婉贞， 世界华人工商妇女协会前会长和现任监事。

　　附华人联名致市长公开信

　　The HonorableSylvester Turner

　　Mayor of the City of Houston

　　Houston City Hall

　　901 Bagby St.

　　Houston, TX 77002

　　Re: Recent Increasein Crime in Houston Chinatown

　　Dear Mayor Turner,

　　On July 13, 14 and25, 2016, there were fourwidely reported robberies in Houston’s Chinatown area. As a result, the Houston Chinese community is increasingly concernedwith the issue of safety in City of Houston and, in particular, the Houston Chinatown area.

　　Three out of four of these robberies,which include one attempted robbery, had certain striking commonalities. First, they happened at night between the hoursof 9 pm and 12 pm; Second, the suspects were all teenagers; Third, the robbersstole not only the wallets/purses of their victims but also the victim’s cars. Fourth, the locations of the robberies are all very close to each other, i.e. two were on Corporate Drive and one was on Sovereign Drive.  Two of the three robberies were reported by Chinese newspapers the very next day.  The robbery that occurred on July 25, 2016 was even more violent than the other robberies. It occurred at 1 pm in the parking lot of the Chinese CoummnityCenter, which is located at the corner of Sovereign Drive and Townpark.In addition, the robbers brandished a gun and forced the victim to give up her car and her purse.  Information concerning the one attempted robbery was widely disseminated by the ‘Wechat’(text and communication) service among the Chinese community.

　　After speaking with a Houston police officer, we understand that this is typical summer crimecommitted by teenagers,who do not have to attend school in the morning, and who stay out late and commit crime.  However, earlier this year, on April 20 and May 8th, 20th, and 28th, there were four robberies that occurred on Sovereign Drive, Town Park and in other locations near these areas.  One occurred in front of the “Houston Huaxia Chinese School”, when the parents of the students were having lunch in their cars, which were parked in the parking lot close to Sovereign Drive.  The robberies all occurredin the late morning or during lunch time.From the victim statements to the Chinese newspaper, the suspectswereall teenagers, aged from 13 to 20 years old.

　　The situation is becoming increasingly intolerable. Therefore, in order to resolve this situation, we propose the following:

　　1. Increased Police Patrols: We request an increase in the number of police patrols in the Houston Chinatown area, especially at night between the hours of 8 pm and 2 a.m.;

　　2. Increased Revenue for Security: We propose increasedfunding to the Houston Police Department so that HPD can hire more police officers and improve security across the entire city;

　　3. Assign a Chief of Police for HPD in the near future.  Currently, there is no Chief of Police for HPD. There should be one person from HPD who oversees the overall security and policing of the entireCity of Houston and that individual should be the Chief of Police.

　　4. Add lights to the Chinatown area.  Several streets in Chinatown are very dark at night, particularly Sovereign Drive.  

　　5. Action Group: We recommend that an action group to be formed to develop incentives for at-risk teenagers, especially young male teenagers from disadvantaged backgrounds, to stay in school, embrace education, succeed academically, develop professional skills, consider professional career opportunities, set goals and avoid making poor decisions that will put them on the road towards a lifetime of crime;

　　6. Task Force: Set up a task force to work with teachers, school counselors and parents/guardians to nurture and promote academics, and social and civic responsibility among young people, including young people from disadvantaged backgrounds; and

　　7. Trade Schools: Work with local unions and industry to develop trade schools in disadvantaged areas of the city where young, at-risk teenagers(who do not intend to attend college or university) can learn useful trades such as welding, plumbing, electrician, carpentry, HVAC, locksmithing, machine technologies, truck driving, small engine repair, etc. so that they can develop professionally and become productive members of society.

　　The damage from the aforementioned crime not only impacts the Chinese-American community and Houston Chinatown but the entireCity of Houston. For example, with respect to the robbery that happened on July 14, 2016 at 9:20 pm in the parking lot of 6100 Corporate Drive, when the police caught the perpetrators, they were driving the victim’s car and when they tried to escape, they hit another car in the street causing the hospitalization of the driver of thesecond car.

　　Second, when together, these at-risk young peoplecontinually make poor choices that end up hurting themselves and their community.  For example, with respect to the robbery that occurred at 9:20pm in the parking lot of 6100 Corporate Dr. on July 14, when the police caught the perpetrators in the victim’s car, they had been smoking marijuana, as evidenced by the strong odor of marijuana emanating from the car.  Thus, these at-risk teenagers made one poor choice after another as part of a joint enterprise to commit crime, which ended up hurting themselves, their community and the victim of the crime.

　　Third, theseat-risk teenagers commit very serious crimes. For example, with respect to the robbery that occurred at 9:20pm in the parking lot of 6100 Corporate Dr. on July 14, when the police caught the victim’s car with the perpetrators inside it, the only thing left from the victim’s purse in the car were the keys, which were keys to the victim’s home and office. Taken together, with several other signs, it strongly suggests that these suspects were planning to come to the home of the victim to either burglarize the home or commit another robbery.

　　The perpetrators of the six recent robberies in Chinatown were all teenagers from disadvantaged backgrounds.  As you once stated, “not every citizen is good.” We must work together to prevent these at-risk teenagers from making poor choices and pursuing a lifetime of crime. These are individuals that could become productive members of the community but they are making terrible choices. We must act to get these at-risk youth back on the right track so that they, together with their parents and guardians, are making good choices with regard to their education and career prospects. This task will not be easy, but the cost of doing nothing will be far greater.

　　We are livingtogether in this great city and we are all part of the greater Houston community.  We would like to see a peaceful, safe and prosperous community in this area.  Please help us keep Houston safe, prosperous, and diverse.

　　Thank you!

　　Sincerely,

　　Jessica Chen

　　Attorney of Law Offices of Chen & Associates

　　Xin Ma

　　President of Shandong Fellowship Association of Southern USA

　　Jianwei Feng

　　Former President of Shandong Fellowship Association of Southern USA

　　Harry Sun

　　Former President of Shandong Fellowship Association of Southern USA

　　Leon Chen

　　Chairman of the Board &Former President of Guangdong Association of Texas, Board Member of Chinese Civic Center

　　Ke Chen

　　Chairman of the Board of Chinese Civic Center

　　Yuxin Fan

　　President of the Executive Board of Chinese Civic Center

　　Wea Lee

　　Chairman CEO of Southern News Group

　　Steven Pei

　　Professor of University of Houston, Board member of Houston 80-20Asian American Political Action Committee

　　Peter Hwang

　　Board member of Houston 80-20 Asian American Political Action Committee

　　Cecil Fong

　　President of OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates, Board member of Houston of 80-20 Asian American Political Action Committee

　　Casey Chen

　　President of Houston Shanghai Association

　　Bo Wei

　　President of Sino Professionals Association

　　Jean Lin

　　Advisor and 2015 President of GFCBW ( Global Federation of Chinese Business Women)