Sheriff Tommy Thomas wants everyone to enjoy the Holidays and to stay safe throughout the Holiday Season.  To that end, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a targeted, proactive initiative to help keep shoppers safe as they shop along the FM 1960 corridor between Willowbrook Mall and I-45. 

Sheriff’s Deputies are patrolling the shopping centers in the above area during the peak holiday shopping hours looking for people engaging in behavior that may increase their chances of becoming a victim of theft or assault.  Such behavior would include carrying a large number of packages, displaying large amounts of cash, carrying purses or wallets in a manner that would make them easier to steal, or leaving a purse in a shopping basket unattended, etc.  When Deputies notice these behaviors, they speak with the shopper, discuss their observations, and give the shopper suggestions on ways that they can reduce the likelihood of their becoming a victim. 

The Deputies are also investigating any suspicious vehicles and persons they notice in the area.  All of the Deputies taking part in this initiative work on an overtime basis so that they will not reduce the number of Deputies conducting regular patrol duties.  In addition, Deputies taking part in this initiative are operating in a pro-active manner by engaging primarily in self initiated activity.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS SO FAR - The Harris County Sheriff’s Office began this initiative on Friday, December 7, 2007, and since then, Sheriff’s Deputies generated 147 self-initiated calls for service and backed up other Patrol units on three (3) calls for service.  The self initiated calls were either "meet the citizen", "suspicious persons", "suspicious vehicle", "parking lot check" or "business check".  Numerous shoppers were stopped and advised that behavior they were engaging in was making them an easy target for criminals.  Fourteen (14) suspicious persons we stopped on foot, and Deputies cleared four (4) misdemeanor warrants as a result of those contacts.  In addition, Deputies working this initiative made five (5) traffic stops and, in keeping with the holiday spirit, issued five (5) verbal warnings.  All in all, this has already proven to be a great pro-active initiative to help keep holiday shoppers safe. 

This initiative will continue throughout the 2007 holiday shopping season.

BE SURE TO WAVE AT THE DEPUTIES
WHO ARE WORKING TO KEEP US SAFE.