In a nutshell
From 2020-24, violent crime has dropped by 26% in Humble, Theis said Feb. 13. Property crimes have also decreased by 11% during the same time period.
The drop in crime is a direct result of various efforts from HPD, Theis said.
“That's a testament to our police officers, the men and women, that are out here patrolling day and night, pushing the criminal element outside of our area,” Theis said.
For specific crimes, aggravated assaults, motor vehicle burglaries, burglaries, homicides, robberies and sexual assaults have decreased overall from 2020-24, according to Feb. 13 meeting documents. Meanwhile, auto thefts increased overall from 2020-24.
In 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, recruiting new police officers became more difficult for HPD, Theis said. From 2020-24, HPD reduced the crime rate through:
- Improvements to its lateral transfer program to recruit more officers
- Increases in officer pay
- Putting more officers on the streets
- Crime-reducing initiatives such as license plate reader programs and the real-time crime center
Related highlights
On Feb. 13, City Council unanimously approved a $60,000 purchase for a drone unit to be used by HPD with council member Paula Settle absent. The drone system can provide a visual to police from rooftops so that human officers can focus on other efforts during responses, City Manager Jason Stuebe said.
“It's very cutting edge, and in our airspace, it's very much needed, and will result in quicker response times and also reduce overtime costs and staff costs,” Stube said.
The city’s agreement with Flock Safety, the producer of the drone, is slated for 12 months, according to meeting documents.
The drone system would normally cost $300,000, but the city will be piloting the drone system at a lower cost, Stuebe said. The purchase was not budgeted for, but other line items in the budget can absorb the cost, he added.
