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Houston Mayor Bill White has announced a new crackdown on convenience store crime.

It’s a new task force.

Raiz Malik knows his customers, and they know him at Newman’s Conoco along I-10 in East Houston.

He said to stay secure, he stays alert.

Convenience store robberies are growing more common in Harris County. An 11 News Investigation found a surge in 2006.

That’s why the city of Houston is pairing up with the owner of Newman’s Conoco, forming a task force to pass on the advice of managers like Malik.

“What I normally tell my employees is just keep the cash as low, minimum as possible,” Malik said. “And keep your window clear. It should not block your view, and keep eye contact with the customers.”

“Convenience store work is one of the most dangerous lines of work and yet, very low pay work,” Houston City Councilman M.J. Khan said. “So these people have no attention to them at all.

“This task force, which Mayor White has appointed, will go a long way towards doing something about this horrible crime situation,” he said.

The task force will suggest ways store owners can protect themselves and ways the city can back them up – possibly by changing rules about lighting and surveillance cameras.

The task force will have four months to present its recommendations to the City Council. They are hoping to hear from many people who work in the convenience store industry, from managers to clerks to customers.