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Behind the gates and the signs there seems to be more and more crime in apartment complexes.

KHOU-TV

The Rev. Walter August Jr. knows the police can only go so far when fighting crime.

Take last Thursday, when investigators arrested a woman for allegedly killing a man in her own home.

Police have been cracking down on such crimes but are now looking for a divine intervention: the local clergy.

“We can come in, because we don’t come in with heavy hand,” the Rev. Walter August Jr. said. “We come to counsel; we come in to help bridge some gaps.”

The Rev. August of the Church at Bethel’s Family knows the police can only go so far when fighting crime.

He believes his powerful message of good versus evil can cross more than his church pews to apartments stricken with crimes.

So they will work together.

“Police are basically providing a security blanket for the clergy teams to do what they do best, which is change the hearts the minds the souls,” HPD Officer Barry Curtis said.

They’ll do it with two representatives who are now being recruited to live in problem areas.

There they will serve as liasons between the apartment management, the church and police, but more importantly they will offer residents help.

"Whether it be medical services, food, or clothing and counseling sessions,” Officer Curtis said.

So why would this program work? The Rev. August points to one apartment complex where his church began more than 12 years ago. He said through his ministry, things slowly started to change there.

“We go in there with a primary focus to get the kids in a more safe haven environment,” the Rev. August said.

Once the kids are in line, the Rev. August said the parents almost always follow, providing safety for both sides of the fence.

A similar initiative is in place in Fort Worth, where police tell 11 News it has been successful the last four years.

The Houston program will start the first of next year.