BPD steps up patrols

By Barrett Goldsmith
Baytown Sun Published September 12, 2007

Baytonians should be seeing a heightened police presence, especially around trouble spots such as the apartment complexes along Northwood drive and Village Lane, as well as in prime shopping areas along Garth Road. The Baytown Police Department has commissioned a number of four-wheelers, acquired through grants, to patrol those shopping areas. The vehicles give police a visible presence and allow for easy maneuverability.

Capt. Roger Clifford, head of investigations, said he and patrol Capt. Keith Dougherty have been seeing the signs of increased crime and developing strategies to hit it head-on, even before others began calling attention to it. Clifford said the department is using overtime and putting officers from other bureaus onto patrol and marshaling the department’s resources to take a firmer hand.

“Our officers haven’t been able to do as much proactive police work,” Clifford said. “But now this gives them the ability to do what they want to do, which is to address these problems. It’s wonderful. Our officers are being set free to do what they swore an oath to do.”

Clifford said city manager Garry Brumback has instilled a top-down commitment to reducing crime. Brumback said he is prepared to use whatever resources are necessary to go after the criminals and make Baytown safer, and he is enlisting all city departments in the effort.

“We’ve got work to do, we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get to it,” Brumback said. “ I want to create an environment that appreciates law abiding citizens but is very difficult to those who want to break the law. And I’m willing to devote all the city’s resources from various departments to that end. I’ve heard nothing but support from the mayor and Council, so if I need additional resources I will ask for them.”

Baytown Mayor Stephen DonCarlos said “keeping our citizens safe is, of course, the No. 1 priority.”

Following a Monday meeting that drew more than 200 citizens and detailed responses from city and police leaders about tackling crime in Baytown, organizers are trying to expand their membership and ensure those leaders make good on their words.

Bert Marshall, a spokesman for the Baytown Concerned Citizens, said that as BCC grows and neighborhood watch groups expand and become more active, the city brass must demonstrate its commitment to fulfilling its end of the bargain.

“The burden is on them,” Marshall said. “ It’s very friendly and supportive, but they are being held accountable. We’re not expecting overnight results, but we expect some improvement, and we’re already seeing that.”

The city videotaped Monday night’s meeting, and assistant city manager Kelvin Knauf said he would evaluate the quality of the tape to determine if it is suitable to air on Comcast Channel 16, though no air dates or times have been set.

The BCC web site, www.hotpursuit.com, includes a message board about crime in the area, a list of neighborhood watch groups and how to join or start a group, maps of where crime has taken place over the past few months, and a searchable database of those crimes by date, location, offense type and police officer.