Safety

The City of Houston is striving to create solutions for people experiencing homelessness. It's estimated that there are 4,400 sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons in Harris County, Fort Bend County and Montgomery County combined. Westchase District is not immune from the situation as more homeless encampments pop up in our area. To better understand the issue, Don McKinney, vice president of public safety for Westchase District, hosted a presentation by the Houston Police Department Homeless…..Read More

Sgt. Tyler Wilson of the Houston Police Department works double-duty as a lead officer in HPD’s Burglary & Theft Division and an officer of the Westchase District Patrol. He addressed a recent meeting of the Westchase District Public Safety Alliance with some common sense tactics to avoid becoming a victim of burglary or theft. Wilson acknowledged that his tips are already known to most people. “But we’re all busy and we’re all forgetful. We just…..Read More

          Cruise Control: HPD Lieutenant Paul George often can be seen cruising by the District’s trail system on patrol.   Over time, Westchase District has earned a reputation as a low crime area, thanks to the consistent efforts of the Westchase District Patrol. That success is tied directly to the high caliber of talented and ambitious patrol officers the District attracts. More than one quarter of the District’s patrol officers hold…..Read More

  As a teenager growing up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Angela Hart-Joseph was fascinated watching the psychological thriller film The Silence of the Lambs, featuring Jodie Foster as a young FBI trainee. “I was inspired seeing a strong female who could solve a case and bring killers to justice,” Hart-Joseph said. “That movie definitely pushed me in the direction of a career in law enforcement.” While her career so far hasn’t pitted her skills against any…..Read More

Safer by Design: Princina Brown-Thomas recently presented to District property managers about crime prevention through environmental design.   While many discussions about crime focus on arrest and punishment rather than prevention, the Houston Police Department’s CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) program seeks to reduce opportunities for crime by applying design principles that make it more difficult to carry out inappropriate activities.   Don McKinney, Westchase District’s vice president of public safety, recently hosted a…..Read More

In today’s world of constant connectivity, it seems everyone is tethered to electronic devices 24/7. But Don McKinney, Westchase District’s vice president of Public Safety, said it’s not uncommon for people exercising to be without their cell phones. That prevents them from being able to quickly alert authorities in the event of an emergency. As an added amenity, Westchase District recently installed eight emergency call boxes at various locations along the District’s trail system. The…..Read More

The enormous volume of digital data created daily is used to customize everything in our lives from our entertainment and shopping experiences to health services and even our safety. Processing, analyzing and then putting to use all of this big data can change our lives today as well as influence the near future. Westchase District is harnessing crime data collected by the Houston Police Department to identify “hot spots” within the District and allocate resources…..Read More

Picture this: surveillance cameras are trained on a Westchase District business. Monitoring software detects a group of individuals congregating in a corner of the parking lot and sends a notification to a patrol officer on duty. With a few finger taps, the officer then pulls up the video feed on an iPad and spreads his fingertips on the touchscreen to zoom in to get a better look at faces and to determine if he should…..Read More

As the economy has faltered, more individuals stake out street corners, grab their cups and cardboard signs and solicit money from strangers. Their signs are plaintive: “lost job,” “single mom,” “unemployed veteran,” or “have cancer/no insurance.” Some motorists are motivated to help these individuals, handing out whatever spare change they have in their possession or distributing carefully-assembled plastic bags with toiletries and snacks. But how do you know that your donation is really helping someone…..Read More

This past winter, Westchase District Patrol officers passed out 2017 promotional calendars to apartment managers, office managers and retail owners. The calendars served two purposes: creating awareness about the patrols and providing occasions for officers to mingle with Westchase District stakeholders. It’s an opportunity relished by Officer Tim Vaca. “I like working Westchase District because I get to interact with people more than on my regular shift,” he said. “I’m always moving around and I’m…..Read More