HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is asking for $1.7 million to grow their TeleDeputy Unit and reduce their response times to high priority calls.
The funds would be from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and would allow for more overtime officers to work for the program.
The unit answers less severe calls remotely, and the sheriff’s office said this would allow them to prioritize their time. The program could help decrease response times to calls regarding life-threatening situations by 30% and reduce response times for violence calls by 10 minutes.
Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones has led the efforts to receive the money for the program. Authorities are hoping the Harris County Commissioners Court will give them the green light for the funds.
Briones said during a news conference on Monday that 60% of calls that the sheriff’s office receives are not high priority calls.
She believes the program will help victims and law enforcement.
“This is huge for Harris County,” Briones said.
She said 30% of murders are connected to domestic violence, and this initiative would allow deputies to help people faster.
Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia was at the conference, and he thinks the program will be approved on Tuesday.