As we prepare to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives and within our communities on Thanksgiving Day, I want to start by sharing my deep appreciation for your partnership and contributions to our wonderful county.
I admire our community for its strength, compassion, and commitment to supporting one another. We are a community where neighbors lend a helping hand to those in need, do their part to make it a better place, and band together to build a more caring and safer home. The Sheriff’s Office is glad to have you with us every step of the way.
The Blue Family Thanksgiving
On Tuesday, our Sheriff’s Office teammates joined the Houston Police Department and other area law enforcement agencies and community partners to pack holiday food baskets for families.
The annual tradition, now in its 10th year, is an opportunity to come together to volunteer as an extended family. Volunteers packed about 1,250 turkey dinners.
After the event, some volunteers personally delivered the turkey dinners to families across the region.
Deputy Blanco visited the Villages at Loch Katrine apartments in northwest Harris County, where she shared more information about the Unidos program and other critical services with residents.
Unidos assists Spanish-speaking residents by introducing them to the various ways we serve them and connecting them to resources to meet the community’s needs.
Thanksgiving is a special holiday where we take an extra moment to pause and reflect on what matters most. It’s a holiday with significant meaning for our nation that encourages us to wrap ourselves in gratitude for our family, loved ones, opportunities, and growth.
I also want to thank all our deputies, volunteer reservists, detention officers, dispatchers, medical personnel, and teammates from every corner of our agency who serve us every day with empathy and professionalism. Many sacrifice time with their families to ensure you can celebrate safely with yours. I am grateful to those who will be working on Thanksgiving to keep us safe. I hope you will join me in expressing your gratitude to them and all first responders.
You may have seen a social media post from KHOU with one of our deputies, Deputy Almeida, embracing a baby who was inside a chase suspect’s truck with other children in the early morning hours on Sunday. At around 1:30 a.m., DWI deputy Caudillo observed a truck driving erratically near West Sam Houston Parkway N at Clay Road in west Harris County. When the deputy signaled the driver to pull over, they refused to stop. The brief chase reached speeds up to 100 mph, ending in the suspect exiting the truck in a parking lot carrying an infant.
Deputy Almeida’s heartfelt actions were met by a flood of supportive posts that thanked the deputy for his humanity and compassion during a scary moment. “Beyond good police work, our deputies’ response to a bad situation included taking care of children as if they were their own,” said Lt. Benoit with the Sheriff’s Office Vehicular Crimes Division. That’s not just a testament to our deputies, it’s Harris County at its best. That’s what so many of you in our community represents.
Let’s keep pushing our world in the right direction. And let us be thankful for our neighbors and the state that we are blessed to call home. Take each day as a gift and fill them with positivity and gratitude. We wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!