HOUSTON – The city’s murder rate has climbed 44% year to date, prompting Houston to commit $4 million to pay for increased patrols in six problem areas of the city. It’s a national problem and a complicated one, according to Dr. Mitchel Roth, a Sam Houston State criminologist who’s written 14 books on crime. Before the pandemic set in, Roth said the murder rate was already on the rise. READ: Houston close to surpassing two-decade homicide record as murder rate continues to soarThat result was attributed at the time to domestic violence and mental health issues. “What are we expecting the homicide rate to go down to?