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As violent crime continues to plague major cities across Texas, a new organization has been created in Houston to help victims of that crime and their families. It’s called Texas Crime Victims United.
The organization was founded with the simple goal of reducing the rate of violent crime across the state, which has been rising for years due to Texas’s lenient bail laws and soft-on-crime judges.
TCVU President Paul Castro said they’re hoping to solve that problem. He said, "We’re advocating for bills and laws to be signed that are going to prioritize the rights of victims and take a harder stance against violent criminals."
One of the main legislative battles they’ve been fighting is the push in Austin for bail reform, something that both Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick have voiced support for but wasn’t able to move through the Texas House.
Castro said that’s despite the hard work of TCVU members. He said, "Members of our organization have gone up to Austin multiple times. We have some judges who have also taken public stances that they want this bail reform bill to pass."
Castro added that another top priority for TCVU next year, during the midterm election season, will be unseating soft-on-crime judges in the Houston area. He said they plan to "educate our community about some specific judges and let people know what the ruling history is of these judges in terms of providing personal recognizance bonds to violent offenders."