05:55 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Amy Tortolani / 11 News

Mayor Bill White says the Houston homicide rate is up more than 18 percent for the first three months of this year. That's compared to the same period last year.

"The murder rate is just unacceptable." said Mayor White. The situation is so alarming that Wednesday, Mayor White asked city leaders to take steps to attack the problem.

Houston Police Captain Dwayne Ready said his department is up to the challenge and will be moving into high crime neighborhoods. "This will be different bringing command van right out there in the field whereever officers are deployed," he said.

Captain Ready said they have asked several law enforcement agencies like the FBI and ATF to work out of the van with them.

"Our overall goal is to reduce violent crime out there and reasure citizens that the police department is taking their concerns seriously," Capt. Ready said.

KHOU-TV

HPD said it is ready and up to the task of attacking the rising crime rate in Houston.

That's great news for Eric Thacker. He's a Southwest Houston dad who stopped taking his son Brison for walks because of crime in his neighborhood.

"The crime rate is too bad out here," Thatcher said. It's so bad that he and his family are moving out next month.