New boundary lines will go into effect later this year when the five existing districts are modified and a sixth district is created.
Capt. Mike Koteras, who is overseeing the new Spring-area District 1, said reducing each district’s geographic area will:
- Allow for a greater concentration of deputies in each district
- Reduce radio traffic on each district’s channel
- Reduce response times for calls for service
This change will also allow for more strategic patrolling of violent crime hotspots such as the FM 1960 and I-45 corridor, he said.
“You can have a criminal offense—a violent crime—occur on the west side of I-45, and the criminals could run across I-45 and ... some of the [deputies] on the other side of I-45 may not know what’s going on,” Koteras said.
Why it matters
While the HCSO can provide law enforcement anywhere in the county, it primarily serves unincorporated areas of Harris County including Spring and Klein.
Organized violent crime in apartment complexes, aggravated assaults and robberies at businesses are some of the key concerns for this area, Koteras said. Residents also have “quality of life” concerns, such as trash dumping, loud noise, stop sign violators and speeding.
“The overwhelming majority of people that live on the street [do so] because they are addicted to drugs and alcohol to cope with their mental illness, and they can’t get the assistance,” he said.
Along with the HCSO, stakeholders such as Harris County Public Health and the North Houston District engage with residents and the business community to improve public safety.
“We know we’re not supposed to leave stuff in our car because someone walking around might be looking for opportunity to commit crime,” said Tracy Harrison, vice president of public safety for the North Houston District. “It has to be a continued effort on educating and reminding people because ... they become complacent.”
How we got here
Preparations for redrawing the HCSO’s patrol district boundaries began in October 2023, and command staff selected the final map last May. Koteras said his updated district will launch in August.
Harris County officials have implemented several initiatives to reduce crime in hotspots such as Cypress Station Drive, from increasing law enforcement presence to planning public art installations.
Targeted gun violence prevention programs from Harris County Public Health including the following, which launched in 2022:
- Relentless Interrupters Serving Everyone, which supports potential perpetrators or victims
- Holistic Assistance Response Team, in which certified specialists have responded to over 17,400 nonviolent social service calls
“They actually have someone that’s stationed in our ER, and when individuals come in as victims of violent crimes, they become part of our care team and work with us to ... try to find how they got there and how do we change those behaviors,” he said.
A closer look
The Cypress Station area has seen more violent crime incidents that any other parts of Harris County for the last few years, HCSO officials said.
In August 2023, the HCSO partnered with the local municipal utility district on a contract deputy program to tackle the issue. This included 10 deputies assigned to work exclusively in the community.
Additionally, the sheriff’s office’s Community Problem-Orienting Policing team has been working with apartment managers and residents to address safety issues there. The Palms at Cypress Station apartment complex was previously the top location for violent crime countywide, and it saw a 75% reduction in violent crime after the contract deputy program’s first year.
Since increasing law enforcement presence, crime has decreased substantially, HCSO officials said.
Of the 10 Harris County ZIP codes where crime has been most prevalent since 2019, five are in the Spring area, according to the HCSO.
Lupe Washington, director of the Community Health and Violence Prevention Services division of HCPH, said the county analyzed gun violence and social vulnerability data to determine where HART and RISE would launch.
“These tend to be neighborhoods that have been historically underserved. They may be areas where there are food deserts; transportation may be an issue,” Washington said.
Locally, ZIP code 77090 has the highest crime rate and lowest median household income while ZIP code 77389 has the lowest crime rate and highest median household income.
Harris County’s 2022 bond program funded $100 million in public safety facilities, including $7.6 million to open a patrol station for the new HCSO district near Cypress Station Drive. Koteras said the building will feature:
- Quarterly safety briefings
- Space for community groups to meet
- A manned drone patrol tower
- Recharge rooms for officers
“It’s important for [residents] to feel safe so they stay here, they want to live here, they want to work here, they want to invest here,” Harrison said.
