Houston Police Department

April 10, 2007 -- Houston Police officers in various divisions arrested suspects citywide in proactive initiatives and “old fashioned” police work during the past week.

NORTHEAST PATROL DIVISION:
On April, 5, 2007, a Northeast Patrol Division officer observed a vehicle make an abrupt turn in an attempt to not be seen by the officer. The officer followed the suspicious vehicle and saw the driver commit a moving violation and he initiated a traffic stop. After having arrested the suspect for various traffic violations, the officer’s subsequent investigation led to the discovery of stolen property inside the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect led officers to the location of the burglary he had just committed and he confessed that he was responsible for about 100 burglaries in both the city limits and in Harris County in a six-month period, dating back to October 2006. The areas where the incidents occurred are north of the Ship Channel to south of Highway 90, and east of Mercury to west of the San Jacinto River. The suspect was arrested for burglary of a habitation and possession of a controlled substance and has since plead guilty and accepted an eight year sentence for his involvement in these crimes.

SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION:
During the month of March, officers with the Special Operations Division implemented an initiative to address crime along the North Bayou, between the Aquarium and the University of Houston Downtown. The North Bayou Initiative targeted homeless individuals and transients who frequented the area and made it their home, destroying it and preying on citizens who were trying to use the area for recreational purposes. Officers identified and warned numerous people of illegal camping in Sesquicentennial Park, which includes Buffalo Bayou Walk. Officers learned that these individuals were not “down on their luck,” but each person checked had some sort of criminal history, some more extensive and serious than others. A sweep of the area was conducted on March 23, 2007, and fifteen citations for camping in a city park were issued and a couple of people were arrested for city warrants. A clean-up effort was coordinated with the Parks Department and soon thereafter their personnel completed the cleanup of the camp area, which is now clean of trash and free of homeless individuals and transients. Law abiding citizens are again using the trails for jogging and cycling without the fear of being assaulted or harassed. This effort should have a positive effect on crime in the downtown area since homeless individuals and transients were responsible for many of the crimes that occurred in the area.

NORTH PATROL DIVISION:
Officers in the North Patrol, Narcotics, Robbery, Auto Theft and Vice Divisions assisted each other and concentrated their efforts in districts three (Antoine and Pinemont) and six (Acres Home) which resulted in several arrests. After receiving complaints from Houston citizens of on-going problems with prostitution and narcotics in these areas, officers conducted several initiatives to arrest persons for these and other offenses. During the initiatives the following arrests were made. Four arrests for prostitution, 27 arrests for narcotics related charges, three arrests for burglary motor vehicle and one arrest for auto theft. Additional arrests included unlawfully carrying a weapon and five parole violations. These combined efforts continue to make a positive impact on the city and show positive results of our officers’ dedication to duty.

For additional information, please contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200.