HOUSTON – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office was granted $3 million by the Harris County Commissioners County in an effort to fight against violent crimes.
There was a 5-0 vote in the Harris County Commissioners Court that approved the funds after the initiative was presented by Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia.
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The money is funded through the remaining Federal CARES Act. The funds will be used to protect victims and reduce violent crimes that officials say stemmed from the pandemic.
According to a release, “the plan of action to utilize these funds will be to use recent crime data to identify dangerous hotspots where caseloads are high and staff shortages are most pronounced. Violent Crimes Units will prioritize investigations of repeat offenders and organized criminal activity. In addition, the Adult Special Crimes Unit will identify domestic abuse suspects who have not been captured as well as Adult Sex Crimes investigations. The Sheriff’s Office will produce reports documenting investigations, charges filed, number of closed cases, and warrants executed during the life of this initiative.”
The additional $3 million will be restricted to the following areas of investigation:
- Murder
- Sexual Assault
- Aggravated Robbery
- Child Abuse
- Domestic Violence
- Warrants
“Fallout from the pandemic has driven a surge in violent crime across America, and Harris County has not been immune,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. “As residents struggle with job loss, evictions, and the everyday stress of pandemic life, we have documented a significant rise in domestic violence, child abuse, murder, and other violent crimes. So far, our proactive anti-crime efforts have helped us avoid the major outbreaks of violence that other jurisdictions have reported. I’m grateful to Commissioner Adrian Garcia and the entire Commissioners Court for giving our deputies the support they need to prevent violence and thoroughly investigate these cases to keep our county safe.”