Is crime in West Houston increasing or decreasing?
Overall crime in this area was up 1.4% in 2005.  Violent crime increased by 13.8% over the same time period. 

Isn’t violent crime increasing citywide?
No. Citywide, violent crime has only ticked up 2%.

Is police manpower at the Westside station up or down?
The Westside Command Station’s manpower allocation in 2004 was 413 total personnel.  In 2005, that number dropped to 395.

What area is served by the Westside Command Station?
Virtually everything west of Loop 610, including the Alief, Ashford, Braeburn, Briargrove, Briargrove Park, Galleria, Huntington Village, Lakeside Memorial, Shadowlake, Sharpstown, Tanglewood, Tanglewilde, Walnut Bend, and Westchase..  There are only 395 HPD officers assigned to that 86.2 square mile region, as of January 2006.

Does the city’s current overtime program address the manpower shortage?
The city’s overtime program doesn’t remedy the situation and the money will run out.  It’s an expensive, short-term fix that leads to officer burnout. 

What about the city’s funding of 7 new police academy classes?
Seven new academy classes will barely keep up with attrition (retirements) within the department.  What’s more, it takes time to fill a class, train a class, and have those officers successfully complete their probationary period.  Re-allocating existing resources is a much quicker solution. 

Is there any charge to join this coalition?
No, coalition membership is free.  We would like to add your name and/or your organization’s name to our growing list of supporters.  We’d also like to communicate with you from time-to-time, as this issue moves forward.  We will not provide your name to others for commercial purposes.

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