Cleaning up abandoned buildings on FM 1960 helps beautify the area while having positive direct and indirect effects on the local economy, tax base and reducing crime rates, Harris County officials said.[/caption]

The FM 1960 thoroughfare in northwest Harris County has been the target of several cleanup initiatives over the past few years by law enforcement agencies in the area. The initiatives include separate efforts focused on panhandling, human trafficking and general crime reduction. Along with these ongoing initiatives, Precinct 4 Constable Ron Hickman said his office is looking into ways to clean up abandoned property in the area.

Targeting abandoned property has the direct effect of revitalizing business and the indirect effect of reducing crime, Hickman said in a presentation to the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce on March 5. Hickman cited the Broken Window Theory, commenting on how urban disorder can set the scene for additional crime.

"We can go after the panhandler, but until we grab the entire environment and work on it, we're not making as much progress as we need to," he said.

Part of the problem for Harris County law enforcement officials are state regulations that limit how many parcels of land the county is able to sell at auctions. The auctioning of abandoned or seized property is restricted to just one day a month by the state and cannot be done online. The state also requires auctions in Harris County to take place at the Family Law Center in downtown Houston, which Hickman said is undersized.

"The foyer is so cramped that all eight constables can't fit in there at the same time," he said. "Most of us have to be outside."

Hickman said he hopes to see many of these limitations addressed in a multi-pronged approach at the state Capitol this legislative session. House Bill 2177 was filed March 3 by State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, was heard in a public hearing April 2 before be recommended for the House's Local and Consent Committee. The bill would give county commissioners the power to conduct ad valorem tax sales of property through online auctions.

Overall, Hickman said his goal is to see an increase in the number of parcels sold each month from 400-500 to more than 1,000. Hickman said he is also interested in conducting an auction specifically for properties on FM 1960, where the sheer number of available properties is keeping prices low.

"Then we could see an immediate impact on the real estate issues that drive investors for that area," he said. "People would be more motivated to get those properties back [in business] producing taxes and back helping the local economy. We don't care about how much the sale price is. We just need them [in operation] and producing tax revenue."

Although crime rates in general are falling, robbery incidents of both individuals and businesses in Precinct 4 are an exception. Visually enhancing a community's appearance by addressing abandoned property and being more thoughtful about property design can help prevent crime, particularly at thoroughfares such as FM 1960 where development is ongoing, officials said.

"Pay attention to the design of parking lots, the lighting [and] the use of security cameras," said Lt. Wayne Schultz with the constable's office in Precinct 4. "The technology upgrades are out there if people are willing to invest. Taking a slightly different approach to prevention would aid both resident and law enforcement interests."