Overall crime down in Cypress Station area, Harris County Sheriff’s Office says
It was once known as the area with the highest number of crimes reported in Harris County, according to data from the sheriff’s office.
But in the past two years, the sheriff’s office said crime in Cypress Station has decreased, thanks to a unit they started in the area.
Four years ago, ABC13 analyzed Harris County Sheriff’s Office crime data and found that Cypress Station had the highest number of reported crimes in the county, with a crime reported in that neighborhood every seven hours.
The sheriff’s office said high crime led to the creation of the Cypress Station Crime Reduction Unit.
“This crime started because it got out of control. It’s an area with violent crimes and murders. You name it, they’ve got it,” said HCSO Sgt. said Pierre Atkinson.
The sheriff’s office said since it started in July 2023, overall crime has decreased by 36%, based on calls for service, including a 50% decrease in domestic violence cases and a 34% decrease in robberies.
HCSO Cpt. “You’re not going to fix everything overnight. We still have a lot of work to do. I didn’t think I’d see the changes I’ve seen in my career.” Steve Wilson said.
Cpt. Wilson said business owners have come forward to let them know the difference this has made.
“Employees are willing to come to work and work more shifts because they feel safer,” Wilson said. “So little things like the community coming to us and talking to us and letting us know the impact this is having on them, that’s the biggest thing that we’ve eliminated by a little bit.”
The sheriff’s office said although there is still crime, it doesn’t happen as frequently.
They attributed the change to the relationships lawmakers have built with the community by getting to know residents and business leaders through events and daily interactions.
“They spend extra time sitting there talking to people,” Sgt. Atkinson said.
One resident, who did not want to show his face on television, said he saw the difference firsthand.
“In this area, you learn to tell the difference between fireworks and a gun,” the man said. “It’s decreased a lot. You don’t hear it much anymore. I saw a blanket laid out on the ground and a mother and her two children were having a picnic there. If that doesn’t mean the situation is getting better, I don’t know what does.”
Sergeant. Atkinson said most of his calls now involve someone experiencing homelessness.
Cypress Station resident Jamaica Seastrunk said she noticed it, too.
“You know, they’re supposed to help the homeless, too. That’s a bigger crime,” Seastrunk said. “More help for the homeless, too, and getting those people off the streets, especially people who want to do something better with their lives.”
Over the years, Cpt. Wilson said he hopes to continue growing that unit from nine deputies to 18. The sheriff’s office also has such crime reduction units in the Aldine and Greenspoint areas, he said, and they’ve noticed a decrease in crime there.
Law enforcement said the units receive funding from the local Municipal District Services, so they can keep it going as long as the contract continues to be renewed each year.
