To date, 324 homicides have been reported this year,compared to 263 in the same period in 2004, he said, an increase of 24 percent.

Most of the spike has come since mid-November, when 14 homicides reported over the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend prompted police and city officials to begin a series of initiatives aimed at increasing police presence in high-crime areas.

Fifty-one homicides have been reported in November and December to date — a 70 percent increase from the same period last year.

Hurtt said many of the killings have resulted from violent disturbances turning deadly, most of them in and around Houston apartment complexes.

"It's an unfortunate fact that a majority of homicides occur in apartment complexes," said homicide Capt. Dale Brown. "Has it always been that way? The answer is probably no. But that's the case now, and it's something we have to deal with."

Brown would not comment on what impact the influx of Katrina evacuees — many of whom swelled the populations of a number of low-income apartment complexes in September — have had on the homicide spike. He did suggest, however, that any sudden increase in population is typically accompanied by a rise in crime.

"It creates stress out there, that you see the effects of in a lot of different ways. ... What we're seeing now is more localized in those areas that have been affected the most," he said.

"You're bringing people with different cultures, different backgrounds, they have different lifestyles there in New Orleans than we have in Houston," Brown said. "The equilibrium was thrown out of whack."

[url=mailto:monica.guzman@chron.com]]monica.guzman@chron.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------