Category: Blog

August 2016 Update

General Update: Crime has been low again this month with few home or vehicle burglaries to speak of.  In fact, our neighborhoods have seen a dramatic drop in crime generally with some astounding year-over-year statistics.  For the first six months of 2016:

• Violent crime is down 100%
• Auto theft is down 88%
• Burglary is down 61%
• Theft is down 95%
• Robbery is down 86%

 

A Note From Constable Rosen: The neighborhood crime that our patrol deputies come across most frequently is the nighttime burglary of parked cars and trucks. In the dark, crooks pull on door handles to see which ones are unlocked. Or they bash through vehicle windows using a heavy tool such as a tire iron. Once inside, they grab cash, coins and wallets, or anything re-sellable such as laptop computers, cell phones, jewelry, athletic equipment and other items.

But there are ways to drastically reduce the chance that your vehicle is the next target. Some of the actions are so simple that you might think every vehicle owner does them. But you’d be surprised how many people don’t. Locking your doors may cause a criminal to sneak to the next car or truck in the search for something easier to steal. Park in a well-lit area, whether that’s your driveway or on the street. Crooks would rather work in the shadows or darkness. When you are not in your vehicle, hide valuables in the trunk or remove them. A purse, phone, coat, briefcase or ring left in plain sight makes your car or truck a lure for the bad guys. They want to commit a crime of opportunity. You want to remove the opportunity. These steps cost nothing.

Vehicle alarm systems, driveway gates and easily-noticed residential security cameras can all reduce these common crimes. Also, there are kits that truck owners can buy to make their vehicle tailgates much harder to remove. Many rims and hubcaps can be locked, too. Of course, Precinct 1 deputies will continue to be on the lookout for anyone “casing” neighborhoods in search of the cars that are easiest to enter. We always need your help with this vigilance. If you see suspicious activity, call our dispatch line, 713-755-7628 to let us know.

 

Security Tips: The constable patrol is most effective when we all take common sense steps to deter crime:

• Activate your security system at all times, and connect it directly to the Constable Dispatch (you must call your alarm company and have their responding agency listed as Harris County Constable Precinct One at 713-755-7628).
• Report crime and suspicious activity to the constable’s office at 713-755-7628. Make sure to mention that you are calling from a “contract neighborhood.” (For emergencies in progress, dial 911).
• Take down license plate numbers or take a cell phone photo of suspicious cars or people you notice around the neighborhood.
• Go to the website and sign-up for security alerts.
• Lock your garage and car.
• Do not leave items in car.
• Never disclose Constable Patrol hours of operation via online social networks (like Facebook or Nextdoor). We are disadvantaged if potential criminals are aware of our vulnerabilities.

General Update: This past month, property crime has subsided to the lower levels that we have normally seen since instituting the constable patrol.  Unfortunately, that is not to say that there was no crime at all.  A home on the 1600 block of Missouri Street experienced a break on June 21st between 2:30 pm and 5:00 pm when perpetrators jumped fence from the alley, kicked in the back door, and stole several items from the home.

As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  While no home can ever be completely “burglar proof” we encourage each of you to take advantage of the security audit opportunity provided to constable patrol subscribers.  In addition, one specific step you can take to make it harder to kick in your doors is is to replace the small screws in your door frame with long, screws (3-4 inches) that reach through the door trim all the way into the door frame and connecting studs.  This is an easy and cheap precaution.  All you need are long screws and a screw driver for an easy switch out.

Lastly, as we are right in the middle of our key fundraising time for Mandell and Winlow Place, we wanted to say a special “THANK YOU!” to those of you that have already renewed your constable patrol subscriptions for the upcoming year.  For current subscribers that have not resubscribed for next year, we want to encourage you to do so ASAP so that we can get next year’s contract signed and ensure that we retain the benefit of the constable patrol service well into the future.
Scam Alert: Be on the lookout for these common door-to-door scams, which are much more common than home burglaries:

• The Alarm Company Scam:  In this scam, a polite, official looking man spots your alarm company yard sign and claims he is there as a representative of the company.  He will claim that he 1) is there to upgrade you system, 2) needs to check the keypad, or 3) represents the manufacturer and that your provider has been sold and stopped service.  All of those things are false.  He is trying to trick you out of your current agreement and into a contract you never wanted through a false affiliation with your provider.  He will offer to waive some of the up-front fees and have an installer – who is finishing a job nearby – come right over.
• Free Water Testing Offers:  Be aware that such offers are almost always part of a sales promotion to sell you a water treatment device, whether you need it or not.  Because there is no charge for the “testing,” some consumers are willing to allow a company rep into their home to check for impurities, dangerous heavy metals, etc.  Fraudulent salesmen may claim that the government has recommended a particular company or treatment method.  Those claims are false.
• Magazine Subscriptions:  The most common front porch solicitations are peddled by young people sponsored by a “non-profit” and eager to tell you their hard-luck stories.  They say you can help them earn “points” by buying a subscription or two, and if you don’t need the magazines, you can have them sent to a charity of your choice.  In reality, they are for-profit efforts and the subscriptions are often overpriced…if they even arrive at all.

Security Tips: The constable patrol is most effective when we all take common sense steps to deter crime:

• Activate your security system at all times, and connect it directly to the Constable Dispatch (you must call your alarm company and have their responding agency listed as Harris County Constable Precinct One at 713-755-7628).
• Report crime and suspicious activity to the constable’s office at 713-755-7628. Make sure to mention that you are calling from a “contract neighborhood.” (For emergencies in progress, dial 911).
• Take down license plate numbers or take a cell phone photo of suspicious cars or people you notice around the neighborhood.
• Go to the website and sign-up for security alerts.
• Lock your garage and car.
• Do not leave items in car.
• Never disclose Constable Patrol hours of operation via online social networks (like Facebook or Nextdoor). We are disadvantaged if potential criminals are aware of our vulnerabilities.

In addition, the Constable offers other security services that we encourage you to take advantage of:

• Vacation watch – Go to http://pct1constable.net/sign-up/vacation-watch/ to sign up you home for vacation watch if you are going out of town. The constables will stop by your house every day to make sure that all is well while you are away.
• Crime Alerts – You can receive immediate crime alerts directly from the Constable’s office by signing up at http://pct1constable.net/sign-up/crime-alerts/.
• Security Audit – Please email Deputy Mathews-Segura at Mathews-Segura@cn1.hctx.net to schedule a security audit. Deputy Mathews-Segura will come to your home and let you know how you can be more secure

For complete list of the constables services and information visithttp://pct1constable.net/.

General Update: Unfortunately, as predicted, we have seen an uptick in property crime coinciding with the end of the school year.  This has meant slightly more home and vehicle burglaries this month than last despite the presence of the constables patrol.  However, it appears that most of the homes that were affected were not patrol subscribers, which indicates that the subscription and signs do have some effect of reducing your home as a target.

Both the constable and the security foundation attempt to push out crime alerts as soon as we are made aware of any serious property crime.  As always, the best tactics to avoid being a victim are tried and true commonsense methods: lock your doors, make sure your security systems are functioning and armed, make the Constable the primary contact of your security system, don’t leave anything in your car, and be aware of your surroundings.

Lastly, in addition to the more run-of-the-mill property crime we experience from time to time, our neighborhoods also experienced a much more rare series of armed robberies last month.  The robberies, which took place on May 17th, started with a woman approaching a pedestrian and requesting help because she has been abused by her boyfriend and robbed. During the conversation, a man approached the victim with a shotgun and demanded the person’s belongings. No similar crimes of this nature have occurred in our neighborhoods since the night of the 17th, and HPD and Precinct 1 continue to work on the cases.
 

A Message from Constable Rosen: Vacation Watch

“This is a perfect time of year for me to remind you about our year-round vacation watch program. It’s one of the services that residents are entitled to when they help pay for a neighborhood patrol contract.

To sign up for a vacation watch, please provide us with information by going here online at least two weeks before you will leave town:http://pct1constable.net/sign-up/vacation- watch/.  Your information is relayed to our patrol division, which then alerts the contract deputies who patrol your neighborhood. I ask the deputies to get out of their patrol cars and walk the perimeter of your dwelling two times during each of their eight-hour shifts to make sure nothing is amiss while you are up the road, up in a plane or down on a beach.

Of course if a deputy spots something suspicious during a vacation watch, he or she can, among other things, reach you or the emergency contact person whose name and number you provided to us when you filled out the form.

We do ask that you give us a finite date for your return because we cannot continue to make these security checks on an open-ended basis. Nor can we enter your home to check on it from the inside.  If you have an alarm system and/or lighting on a timer, please make sure they are in active mode while you are gone. Parking a vehicle in your driveway can sometimes help deter a potential burglar, too.

Thanks for helping us help you – and be safe!”

 

Security Tips: The constable patrol is most effective when we all take common sense steps to deter crime:

• Activate your security system at all times, and connect it directly to the Constable Dispatch (you must call your alarm company and have their responding agency listed as Harris County Constable Precinct One at 713-755-7628).
• Report crime and suspicious activity to the constable’s office at 713-755-7628. Make sure to mention that you are calling from a “contract neighborhood.” (For emergencies in progress, dial 911).
• Take down license plate numbers or take a cell phone photo of suspicious cars or people.
• Go to the website and sign-up for security alerts.
• Lock your garage and car.
• Do not leave items in car.
• Never disclose Constable Patrol hours of operation via online social networks (like Facebook or Nextdoor). We are disadvantaged if potential criminals are aware of our vulnerabilities.

In addition, the Constable offers other security services that we encourage you to take advantage of:

• Vacation watch – Go to http://pct1constable.net/sign-up/vacation-watch/ to sign up you home for vacation watch if you are going out of town. The constables will stop by your house every day to make sure that all is well while you are away.
• Crime Alerts – You can receive immediate crime alerts directly from the Constable’s office by signing up at http://pct1constable.net/sign-up/crime-alerts/.
• Security Audit Deputy – Please email Deputy Mathews-Segura at Mathews-Segura@cn1.hctx.net to schedule a security audit. Deputy Mathews-Segura will come to your home and let you know how you can be more secure

For complete list of the constables services and information visithttp://pct1constable.net/.

 

Subscription Notes: Mandell Place and Winlow Place are currently in the midst of their annual fundraising drive, with the goal of being fully funded for next year’s contract by August of this year.  We are trying to increase our patrol hours for next year to accive true 24/7 coverage.  In order to do so, we need to engage a few more subscribers per neighborhood, so please talk to your friends and neighbors and ask them to join!  Remember, our member households pay a pro rata portion of the cost of the contract, so the cost to each household is lower the more households participate. It is, therefore, a win-win the more households that join. If everyone who joined last year renews at the same funding level and just a few other homes join, we should be able to increase our patrol hours.  Online payments preferred by credit card or PayPal at www.mwpatrol.org/payment.  Please join or renew today!

General Update: In the recent weeks we have seen a slight uptick in property crime in our patrolled neighborhoods.  Unfortunately, in several of these instances, the victims have not been subscribers of the constable patrol and the constable has learned of the occurrence of the crime only after the fact (and after a multi-hour wait for HPD to respond).  While you should call HPD when you encounter a crime in progress or there is a threat to life or limb, please always report crimes and suspicious activity to the constable as well at 713-755-7628.  The constable has a much faster response time to investigate thefts and burglaries, and the closer in time you can make a report, the better chance there is of stopping the criminals.

The most notable events this month were a burglary on 1900 Harrold where the suspects seemingly waited for residents to leave the home, and then proceeded to kick in both the front and back doors around 9:00pm. The other notable event is a 2011 Jeep Cherokee was stolen on 1600 Missouri.  This is likely part of a rash of about a dozen car thefts in the Midtown and Montrose area.  The thieves appear to be targeting jeep and Toyota models specifically.  Pictures of the suspected car thieves have been released by the constable’s office.

The constable is working diligently to patrol our neighborhood and continues to have a very beneficial effect on public safety.  While we have seen a small increase in property crime this month, we still see much less crime overall than our non-patrolled neighbors.  The constable continues to deter all sorts of crime, from property and violent crime to speeders that can endanger us as we walk around our neighborhood, such as this person recently ticketed by the constable for speeding through Harold street:

As always, the best way to keep yourself safe is with common sense!

 

Message from Constable Rosen:  With summer break from school around the corner, dynamic neighborhoods like those in our Cherryhurst-Mandell-Winlow patrol contract area must be extra vigilant about children and portable personal property. In that order!

Children come first as our most precious concern. Even with electronic games and other cutting edge products that fascinate kids, summer still beckons them to the outdoors during what are typical work days for many of the rest of us. The heightened awareness you use when driving in or near school zones must now be applied again to your own sidewalks, streets and neighborhood parks. Look out for youngsters running, skateboarding, peddling bikes, chasing soccer balls – perhaps a bit carelessly. Keeping our next generation safe as possible requires these small seasonal adjustments in our own behavior.

When it comes to crime in your neighborhood, the good and bad news is that property theft remains the biggest challenge.

Thanks to you, our staff and other public agencies, assaults, robberies and other forms of violence are at very low levels in your area. Other neighborhoods are not as fortunate. But any urban neighborhood has its share of burglaries and thefts. Often these can be thwarted by taking common sense precautions.

Simple as it sounds, keeping your home and vehicle locked, with portable valuables such as laptop computers and purses and wallets out of sight, are steps not everyone follows. We know that because we get the occasional reports of items being stolen from unlocked cars, unsecured garages and unoccupied homes with open or unlocked windows.

Many of you have taken extra steps by installing alarm systems, lockable gates and security cameras. But some busy folks forget to use them. Please remember to always activate your residential alarm system when you leave your home unattended. Likewise, park your vehicle in a well-lit driveway when possible, and lock your gates if you have them.

Keep this in mind: Burglary is almost always a “crime of opportunity.” Just a little bit of deterrence forces a thief to move to a more convenient target – one that we hope is well beyond your neighborhood.

 

Security Tips: The Constable has seen the “flat tire” scam popping up in and around our neighborhoods.  Beware of vehicles trying to stop you to alert you to mechanical problems with your vehicle.  They may try to tell your tire if going flat, or your tire appears to be falling off and try to get you to pull over to “help” you.  They will try to show you the problem and offer to fix it for your safety.  They work alone or usually in pairs so one person distracts you by talking to you while to other one appears to “fix” your vehicle.  The problem is non- existent and after they have “helped” you, they want you to drive to an ATM to pull out cash for their services.  Some have scammed drivers for $500-600 for nothing.   The scammers usually try to get you to pull over in a shopping/strip center where they know an ATM is close by so you can walk to or drive a across the parking lot while they wait or follow you to be paid for their service.  Please be aware there are people out there waiting to take advantage of you.