Safety

Westchase District’s public safety program began modestly in the late 90s with a handful of Constable deputies from Harris County patrolling the area. As licensed law enforcement officers, Constables could write tickets, make arrests and take individuals to jail, in addition to responding to various calls from property owners. In 2004, the District’s board of directors decided to move the program in a different direction.  They hired the District’s first full-time public safety director and…..Read More

With 13 Blue Star certified apartment communities, Westchase District has more Blue Star communities than any other area of Houston. But the District is not resting on its laurels. Mark Hubenak, vice president of public safety, has set a goal of having 30 Blue Star communities by the end of 2025. Hubenak launched that effort in early November by inviting all Westchase District apartment community managers to meet the Houston Police Department team who oversees…..Read More

HPD Chief Larry Satterwhite moved into a new office immediately following his recent retirement from the Houston Police Department. After serving as the interim Chief of the department under Mayor John Whitmire, Satterwhite moved into the City of Houston’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Satterwhite is no stranger to Westchase District. He previously served as Westchase District’s liaison to HPD and the officers who work for the Westchase District Patrol. He returned to…..Read More

Run, Fight, Hide is the best advice As part of an ongoing series of events aimed to educate the Westchase District community about public safety concerns, the District hosted a lunch & learn presentation featuring HPD Senior Community Liaison Stephen Daniel talking about how to survive an active shooter. Coincidentally, the event was held just hours before an armed gunman opened fire at two separate locations in Lewiston, Maine, killing 18 people. An active shooter…..Read More

HPD officers working for the Westchase District Patrol routinely ticket and tow trucks and automobiles illegally parked throughout the District. Their efforts are part of an ongoing effort to improve safety and mobility. “Motorist visibility is so limited when these giant vehicles park on our narrow residential streets,” said Mark Hubenak, Westchase District’s vice president of public safety. It is a parking violation for 18-wheel vehicles to park for more than two hours on a…..Read More

Congratulations to 2828 at Royal Oaks, Westchase District’s latest Blue Star community. The Blue Star distinction is awarded by the Houston Police Department, only after a community has completed the three-part certification process, which includes manager training, an exterior inspection and resident education. Patti Melendy, community manager at 2828 at Royal Oaks, says the process was worth the end result. Melendy has been with the community since October of 2021, when her employer, Asset Living,…..Read More

The expression that it takes two to tango means that both people involved in a difficult situation must accept the blame. In the case of SEAL Security, officers are trained to not be half of the problem. Public safety officers never know what to expect when responding to a situation. Officers working for SEAL Security – the private security firm contracted by Westchase District – constantly train for the potential danger they face. A suspect…..Read More

In 2009, Somali pirates took Captain Phillips and his crew hostage. In a crisis that gripped headline news and spawned a Hollywood movie, Phillips’ ship, the Maersk Alabama, was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. It was one of 20,000 merchant ships sailing through a vital artery of world trade that opened into two million square miles of water comprised of the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. These acts of piracy posed…..Read More

As crime continues to inch upward in Houston, Westchase District is not immune from the problem. Westchase District’s Vice President of Public Safety Mark Hubenak meets daily with property owners and building managers to discuss their particular needs and make recommendations on how to get the most from their public safety efforts. Many properties employ security officers – either armed or unarmed personnel. “Whether you employ armed officers, unarmed officers, uniformed officers or plain-clothed officers,…..Read More

Criminal activity and public safety issues never take time off. Neither does Assistant Police Chief Ban Tien with the Houston Police Department. Chief Tien recently gave a 3 a.m. media briefing in the rain for an incident involving a distraught man allegedly threatening suicide. The crisis escalated with gunfire between the man and a responding officer. It’s a dangerous reality that situations can develop at any time and as an HPD senior leader, Tien thrusts…..Read More