Message from Sheriff Ed Gonzalez – We see you. We hear you. We stand with you.

Today, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office hosted a promotions ceremony for 25 of our teammates – one new major, two captains, three lieutenants, sixteen sergeants, one detention sergeant, and two registered nurses. These leaders have served our agency and communities well and displayed qualities that are in keeping with our five core values. I look forward to what they will bring to our agency as new leaders. I congratulate them on their hard-earned achievements and wish them all the best in their new chapters in life.

Every Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy swore an oath to protect our residents. Our agency reflects the community we serve. That’s why we stand with those seeking justice and equality. We share the grief in the killing of George Floyd. We have seen this scenario play out much too often across our nation. People want to see real reform. Let’s work towards that end. The current state of affairs is a moment for us to pause, and reflect to see how we can do better and make sure our dialogue is constant and genuine. We all need healing and unity during these dark hours.

Serving and protecting

Our Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) collaborates with public and private entities focusing on outreach programs to locate, engage, and assist homeless persons with housing, health care, and nutrition needs. We have a team assigned to each of our five patrol districts. In 2019 the HOT team found housing for 125 individuals and provided 1,051 aid items — blankets, coats, food, water, and sanitary items. Click here to learn more about the HOT team and for more statistics.

In an effort to make our roads safer we created a new unit called the District Traffic Enforcement Unit. District 3, located in east Harris County, is the first out of our five patrol districts to get the unit up and running. The goal is to curtail traffic violations. The unit will focus on traffic complaints from residents in the district. While the night shift will also address racing vehicles and DWI offenders, in addition to traffic violations. Watch a video below of Deputy Landry manning the new unit.

This week we came together as a family to offer our hearty congratulations to Christian Polk, who graduated from YES Prep Eisenhower High School. He’s the son of our fallen brother Sgt. Dwayne Polk, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2013. Sgt. Polk was a wonderful man, and well-loved by our community. Christian said he was amazed by all the amazing support he received on behalf of HCSO. He’s going to study business management at Texas Southern University and said he’s looking forward to life on campus. We are proud of Christian and wanted him to know that his late father has a presence in our hearts. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors! Click here to watch the video of the drive-by parade celebration.

Stay safe

As we go back to our regular routines, we ask you to keep in mind that the virus is still in our community. Protect yourself and the people around you by wearing a mask in public, practice social distance, and wash your hands frequently. The Harris County Public Health encourages residents to get tested for COVID-19. Click here to schedule your free test or call 832-927-7575.

As our nation demands change, I see you, I hear you and I stand with you. This agency is committed to being part of the change. We must do better. Our commitment to serving our residents persists day in and day out. God bless you, and God bless the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

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