Message from Sheriff Ed Gonzalez:
April began tragically with the loss of Deputy Darren Almendarez.
Darren spent 23 years here as our teammate and friend, working as a Patrol Deputy in District 3 and as a Field Training Officer.
Most recently, Almendarez served as an Auto Theft Investigator where he worked closely with other agencies, like the Federal Bureau of Investigations, as part of the Multi-Agency Gang Task Force and the Auto Theft Task Force.
Darren loved what he did and was proud to serve our community.
More than a Deputy, he was a family man. His family meant the world to him, and they will forever be in our thoughts and prayers.
Our community was rocked once again by the loss of Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 7 Deputy Constable Jennifer Chavis only a few short days later.
Jennifer was a proud United States Army Veteran, graduating with her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Houston Downtown and her Master’s Degree from Texas Southern University. She was still pursuing her education when she passed.
Jennifer was also deeply connected to her family. She leaves behind a young son and many other loved ones.
It’s times like these we are reminded why our heroes do what they do and sacrifice so much to keep us safe.
I’m humbled and proud of the way our communities rallied together in their grief to honor and remember these two great heroes.
April is a Month of Awareness
April is Child Abuse Prevention month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Autism Awareness Month.
Our Crime Victim Assistance unit and other local community activists hosted multiple events throughout the month to shed light on these issues and educate the communities on solutions.
National 911 Public Safety Telecommunications Week
During the Week of April 10th through the 16th, we celebrated National 911 Public Safety Telecommunications Week.
Our Communications team members are the steady voice of calm between our communities and our officers.
Their attention to detail and ability to remain steadfast is key to successfully serving the people of Harris County.
To all our Communications Teammates, we extend a heartfelt thank you.
Connecting in Our Community
Our teammates were busy this month, out in various parts of Harris County getting to know our community members.
Our Mounted Patrol Unit and esteemed Mounted Patrol Horse, Chief, enjoyed a local Back the Blue event in District 4 at the Steve Radack Community Center.
Members from our Crime Scene Unit participated in a two-day Forensic Field Trip event hosted by Katy ISD.
Students were able to get up close and personal with the techniques and trade of crime scene forensics while getting to know the teammates who work in this area.
Remembering the Fallen in District 5
Our District 5 Patrol Substation honored it’s Fallen Teammates with a ceremony and touching tribute to Deputies who lost their lives in service to the District 5 community.
Deputy Darren H. Goforth, Deputy Omar Diaz, Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, Deputy Alexander Gwosdz, Deputy Joshua Sieman