The Houston Chronicle this morning adds some sobering perspective to the kind of reporting done earlier this month by Morning Edition, which spent the better part of a week explaining the huge changes underway in the Houston metropolitan area.

According to the Chronicle:

Shootings of citizens by Harris County law officers already this year have overtaken the number of shootings last year, as well as the year before. As of Sept. 24, a total of 44 police shootings have occurred, up from 35 in all of 2008, and 32 in 2007.

The newspaper adds that:

The head of a city police union thinks it's the economy. A community activist blames permissive prosecutors. Prosecutors point to expanded gun rights.