A Synopsis of the Constable's Services by Constable Ron Hickman.

First, Constables and their sworn personnel are Texas Peace Officers and authorized to respond to and handle exactly the same issues as any other law enforcement officer in the State. Under Texas law every sworn peace officer in the State carries that same authority. Constables are the oldest form of law enforcement in Texas, dating back to 1823, a time that predates Sheriff’s or Texas Rangers in our State’s history or even our Constitution as the Republic of Texas.

Justice of the Peace Courts - In addition to these law enforcement responsibilities, we are given the responsibility for “serving” or “attending “to our Justice of the Peace Courts, which includes attending to bailiff responsibilities and providing the protection necessary to maintain an orderly court setting. We are also given the process issued from these and other courts in Texas to deliver. This includes civil papers such as those issued in or arising from lawsuits, attachments, and writs of various kinds. We handle approximately seventy thousand pieces of civil process annually and have on hand over fifty five thousand Class “C” warrants issued out of our two Justice of the Peace Courts that include everything from traffic and simple assault to issuance of bad checks.

Patrol Services - In the area of patrol service, the majority of our resources, about seventy five (75%) to eighty percent (80%) are provided through their contracts with Harris County. Whether it is from the Toll Road, School Districts, Municipal Utility Districts, or Homeowner Associations, the bulk of our personnel exist solely because of a contract that provides for a portion of their cost. In turn our deployment of those specific resources is reflective of that contractual responsibility. The resources that we have left available to respond to calls in the general or non-contract areas are fairly limited and spread across five hundred square miles. While the calls we receive direct from the public, both in and around our contracts, or from the general public is a sizeable number, totaling over four hundred thousand calls, when a person calls 9-1-1 in an area that is not in one of our contracts, that call will be directed to the Sheriff’s Office.  Unless we are advised of this emergency, our communications office would not even know it is happening.

Working with the Sheriff’s Office - We work in concert with the Sheriff’s Office and have a good working relationship with them. We try to avoid duplication in as many areas of our business as possible to reduce the impact on the taxpayer as much as possible. For instance, we do not handle undercover operations and refer complaints such as massage parlors or gambling establishments to the Sheriff because of the resources necessary to handle long term or undercover investigations. They handle pan handler complaints while we work on bandit sign issues. We frequently back up each other when assistance is required because it is in the best interests of the public and our fellow peace officers. All of the law enforcement leaders in the area would very much like to be able to improve the umbrella of protection but are challenged to keep pace with the dynamic growth of our area and minimize the monetary impact to taxpayers. This means trying to get the most out of the resources we are provided through Commissioner’s Court, or are at our disposal through the contracting subdivisions.

Working with the City of Houston - We often are called on to respond to incidents that occur inside the municipal borders of the City of Houston and while we will be glad to assist them in any way we can, they have annexed and collect taxes for areas within their jurisdiction and as such bear the primary responsibility for providing those services. Crimes that occur inside the City of Houston, that are not in one of our contract areas need to be reported through their systems to provide for their investigative and statistical systems.

A suite of services to our JP Courts and community - In addition to providing civil, warrant, and patrol services to our residents, we also provide a suite of services to our JP Courts and community. We provide a service for our JP Court that permits an educational and practical component for those kids who have been charged with “minor in possession of alcohol” as an alcohol awareness effort. Rape Aggression Defense Training and other educational opportunities to “inform” our constituents on how we operate through the Precinct 4 Citizen Police Academy as well as crime prevention speakers to help homeowners and business owners make their property more secure. We have one of the more complete victim’s assistance and domestic violence offices and provide witness preparation and assistance with filing victim compensation claims. The last time I checked, we had helped victims in our area with claims totaling over one million dollars from the State’s Crime Victim Compensation Fund. That is assistance they may not have received without our intervention.

Cyber Crimes - We have one of the most advanced Cyber Crimes investigative efforts in our area. Our residents are often the target of crimes that involve a higher degree of technology and to be competent at handling these investigations, we have had to increase our technical reach so to speak. With the increases in identity theft, computer fraud, and the sale of stolen merchandise on the Internet, we have to stay current with technology. I have one detective on a full time assignment at the FBI’s Greater Houston Regional Computer Forensics Lab, where I sit as the Vice Chair of their local executive board. I also serve on the FBI’s National Steering Committee for computer forensic labs across the United States. We have also assigned one sergeant to handle technical investigations full time. This presence give us access to significant resources to help us combat crimes that involve or require technical skills for investigation well beyond the normal range of local law enforcement. We have these and other services to attend to in addition to our large patrol response over a large geographic area with a population of well over half a million people.

While responding to serious crimes such as aggravated robberies is an area of immediate concern, we have a responsibility to attack our community’s issues on the broad scale as well. We will strive to use the resources provided us, to maximize the return on those tax dollars you give as efficiently as possible to improve the comfort you have in your home and business. The recent task force initiatives are examples of those kinds of efforts. And have brought us a fair degree of success

The Public's Role - The Constable's efforts must be matched by the support and cooperation of the community in reporting of offenses and suspicious activity as well as securing their homes and businesses in a way that maximizes their protection. It remains a team effort. One we are proud to say is supported by many in our area.

Citizens Police Academy - Have you ever wanted to know what is like to be a Deputy Constable?  Do you want to know more about the on-scene and behind-the-scenes operations of Precinct 4?  If so, you should enrol in our Citizens Police Academy. In addition to learning about the operation of a police department each student will be given the opportunity to ride with a patrol officer during a tour of duty. Click here to learn more and sign up.