On Tuesday, Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved Harris County Safe, a data-driven policing initiative that will target communities with the highest incidence of violent crime in unincorporated Harris County.
This is another step toward a comprehensive strategy for reducing violent crime – an approach grounded in research, data mapping, transparency, and constant review. It’s also focused on engaging our communities as critical partners and aligns with our values.
Senseless violence has shaken our communities and taken the lives of too many people. In Harris County alone, murders have increased nearly 33 percent since 2019. And violent crime offenses overall have increased nearly 18 percent since 2019. Our Violent Crimes Unit investigators have responded to more than 380 scenes so far this year.
The initiative builds on our philosophy of community-oriented policing and reinforces the vital role that our residents and partners play in ensuring public safety. And it helps establish effective methods for deploying our personnel and other critical resources to hotspot areas.
Our Crime Analysis and Intelligence Division has identified seven micro-zones throughout the county where crime is concentrated. About 96 additional Harris County deputies will patrol the most violence-prone areas at the times of day and week when violence is most often reported.
This proactive policing strategy draws on the deterrent value of high-visibility, targeted enforcement. It’s about prioritizing street-level deterrence and removing repeat violent offenders from our communities.
We know that violent crime is not a problem that can be solved by law enforcement alone. Our Community Problem-Oriented Policing Unit, also known as CPOP, will engage residents throughout the initiative. They will be seeking input from the communities impacted.
At the Sheriff’s Office, we have embraced emerging technologies to give us the kind of real-time, actionable crime-fighting information that we need to make our neighborhoods better places to live. Our goal is to make strategic and analysis-driven decisions that reduce violent crime, as well as overall social harm over time. Harris County Safe will tell us when and where to target our countermeasures for long-term change in disproportionately affected areas.
Regularly generated reports by our crime analysts will keep deputies and residents informed and lay the foundation for assessing the effectiveness of specific operational techniques and personnel deployment. This will provide valuable feedback for adjustments and realigning resource allocation. It will also serve as a complement and force multiplier to our existing crime reduction efforts seen in our various dedicated units and task forces.
We are grateful to the County Judge and the entire Commissioners Court for investing in proven approaches and viable public safety strategies to prevent and respond to the worst crimes. With their leadership and support, we have continued to implement multi-pronged solutions to protect our communities and keep gaining insight into the unique needs of each neighborhood.