Kingwood PIP Meeting Notes

Kingwood PIP Meeting NotesI went to the Kingwood PIP meeting last night. They had some interesting info. -- Kingwood.com got a mention as one of the social media platforms they were reaching out to, to get higher participation in the monthly Kingwood PIP meetings!-- Most crimes in Kingwood have gone down significantly (30% in many categories) over the past two years. This was attributed to a new 8-person crime suppression team that was started two years ago, that can better investigate crimes locally (instead of using downtown investigators) and be more proactive about policing.-- Police spotted on ATVs: This got some attention on Facebook when officers were spotted with a bunch of ATVs. The officers there said the ATVs were borrowed from downtown for targeted patrols, including around the Hamblen golf course and several other targeted areas. ( KDC discussion here: www.kingwood.com/mes sage_board/view_mess age.php?parent_messa ge_id=5989219 ) -- Video circulating of the guy busting pipes in Kingwood, update: They have someone arrested who is a strong suspect. ( KDC discussion: www.kingwood.com/msg /reported-vandalism- near-hca.php?p=59759 15 )-- Birch Creek area gun shots update: they have a very strong suspect and have arrested the person on a different charge, and are attempting to access phone data to see if they have a case for the gun shots. ( KDC discussion: www.kingwood.com/msg /birch-creek-street- wth-gunshots.php?p=5 942994 )-- Fire Station 101 update: most of the repairs are now complete, the damage was worse than expected, and they're now just currently waiting on administrative things (e.g., asbestos testing). ( KDC discussion: www.kingwood.com/mes sage_board/view_mess age.php?parent_messa ge_id=5972659 ) -- Flock cameras: The officers explained that they are a hugely beneficial resource that is used almost daily to solve crimes. They said they understand the privacy concerns, but the huge benefit outweighs the risk of misuse. They also clarified that there is a process that must happen before they can access the cameras, and the requests involve oversight and audits, and must have a legitimate law enforcement reason to access the data. They point out that cases of misuse in the media have resulted in the officers being fired and sometimes criminally charged, so there is a big incentive not to misuse the cameras within the police department. ( KDC discussion: www.kingwood.com/msg /flock-cameras-pro.p hp?p=5957494 )-- The head of Houston's 911 office came and explained how they work, which was interesting. They usually have 30-50 people staffed taking phone calls, and take about 9,000 to 12,000 calls a day. They are also hiring (starting at $20/hr).-- Officers reminded people they can fill out alert slips to have police give extra patrols in specific areas where you're noticing a problem.-- A citizen voiced concerns about kids riding around without helmets on eBikes / eScooters. An officer explained that it's difficult to intervene, because if they do, it's a misdemeanor, and because it's a minor they have to file a report and contact the parents, and it can tie them up for an hour or several hours. So they usually don't intervene, because they have more pressing calls that they would miss if they get tied up in dealing with a minor without a helmet. They are concerned about it, and say the school district and awareness campaigns among parents are likely the best way to improve the situation, instead of direct police enforcement.-- A citizen voice concerns about the weird cement barriers near the new Fosters Mill Elementary school -- the police said that was a city / school district issue that they didn't have much control over. Councilman Flickinger's representative said they were looking into it. ( KDC discussion here: www.kingwood.com/mes sage_board/view_mess age.php?parent_messa ge_id=5988402 )