|
You have an opportunity every month to hear a report from HPD Central Division Captain Mark Holloway about recent crime activity in our neighborhoods, as well as crime prevention ideas & techniques. You get all this at the LOCAL PIP (POSITIVE INTERACTION POLICE PROGRAM) the 4th Wednesday every month-Location: Houston Police Officers Union Building, 1602 State Street. Robert Graham is the Chairman of Central One District PIP. You can call him at (713) 526-0291 for additional information.
Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect!
PIP Notes Central 1 & 2 PIP April 23, 2008, Wednesday, 7:00pm
-Robert Graham reported that 70 fugitives have been captured due to Wheel of Justice Program.
-Lt. Zeller introduced Operation Greensweep which is a new initiative to help alleviate the problem of homeless people, many of whom commit crimes to support a drug habit. The focus is mostly around White Oak Bayou, and the encampments of vagrants there. HPD recognizes that it is not illegal to be homeless, but they are still charged with dealing with the crime that occurs in such a situation.
Entities such as Neighborhood Protection has been very helpful, by clearing underbrush and debris, removing hiding places and aiding officer safety. TX DOT removed 2 dump trucks of debris from under the bridges. Parks and Recreation helped, too, but there were some arguments about cutting brush. Some people think even yupon bushes should be saved, but HPD believes this provides shelter for vagrants.
There have been 25 people arrested out of the encampments, and among these 25 there were a total of 216 lifetime arrests. The most prevalent crime was drug related and the second most common charge was property crimes.
The police discovered the body of a pedophile who had been camping within viewing distance of a young child's play area. A photo was used to help convince authorities that the program is beneficial.
Special Services (bike and horse patrols) were very effective. The police have used a combination of foot patrol, horses, and bicycles. They can arrest the vagrants on charges of trespassing, littering, urinating in public, etc. Once arrested the police usually find that many have outstanding warrants.
There is a feeling that shelters and social services contribute to the problem when they out food that enable the vagrants to continue staying in their camps. The Mayor has said that it is good to help the homeless, but not to give food or money to them directly. That is "enabling" and it allows them to stay on the streets and commit crimes. Citizens are being asked to give money to service organizations that provide some type of rehabilitation. Operation Greensweep is working in partnership with social services in an attempt to help the homeless change their lives, stay off the streets and out of the homes of the citizens. Of course, there is no law to force them to stay at a social agency. When asked what happened to the people forced out of encampments, Lt. Zeller could give no clear, reassuring answer.
There have been significant arrests through Operation Greensweep. The goal is to reduce property crime by 10% and already, there have been 42 felony arrests, 92% of which were drug-related. There were 1000+ arrests for misdemeanors, including warrants, CI, and citations. Overall, burglary is down 38%, burglary of a motor vehicle down 42% and theft is down19%.
Citizens have a powerful voice for requesting and demanding results to fight crime. Documentation and photos help.
Lt. Zeller also said citizen need to take steps to help keep becoming victims of crime. Keep doors and gates locked, garage doors down, valuables out of sight, trim bushes from around houses, keep lights burning on the porch and when you leave the house, leave a radio talk show on loud.
Other items of note: --National Night Out has been switched to Tuesday, October 7, just in Texas, to avoid the August heat.
--When reporting a crime in progress, be sure to tell the dispatcher it's "in progress." If you can still see the criminal, the crime is in progress, and letting the dispatcher know that will get an officer out immediately. Give as good a description as possible, and be clear and complete.
--There are several houses boarded up on Eastman Street. A homebuilder has agreed to board up old properties, until they're ready to raze them and begin construction.
--Call 911 if you see people pushing shopping carts full of metal (or just pushing a shopping cart, as it's illegal to be in possession of one, because they are stolen, too).
--Lt. Zeller spoke about the Keep Houston Safe program. It's a way to involve the community in their own crime prevention. It started on the North side in February, and has resulted in a 31% reduction in crime. It's tailored to the needs in the community. For example, there are many personal assaults on the North side, whereas the major problem in the Montrose area is burglary and theft.
--The TACT Team is working in the 4th Ward, to reduce drug crime. The goal was to reduce crime by 10%, but so far, there has been a 16% reduction. Some TIRZ money is earmarked for police work - especially drugs - in that area. HPD is "saturating the area with Uniforms" and they stated there would be more visible uniformed officers in the Montrose area.
-BMV Report Cards (Burglary of Motor Vehicle) - This is a relatively new program in which police officers evaluate the cars of honest citizens for the likelihood that it would be burglarized. For instance, was it unlocked? Was the window open or cracked? Were there valuables in plain sight? The officers leave a report card on the windshield to let the owner know how they rate. So far there has been a 56% failure rate.
|