San Leon Elementary School Career Day
On May 4, 2012, San Leon Elementary School hosted a Career Day. Dickinson K-9 Police Officer Bruce Stuart with Meka, and Community Police officer Tony Valdez shared information about their jobs and what it takes to become a law enforcement officer. The students were very interested, had a lot of questions and both officers agreed that it was one of the best Career days ever!
National Crime Victims Week Observed
On Sunday, 04/ 22/ 2012, ceremonies were held at the Texas City Police Department signaling the start of National Crime Victims Week. Victims of family abuse as-well-as survivors of domestic violence are recognized throughout Galveston County in a variety of programs. Here members of the Dickinson Police Departments Honor Guard present the colors signaling the start of the program and the week of special recognition.
Pictured in the Honor Guard Left to Right
Sgt. O. Stoker, Officer L. Vasquez, Officer J. Smith, Officer T. Watson
Dickinson Citizens On Patrol Assist with Crime Victims Walk on the Galveston Seawall
On Saturday, 04/28/ 2012, members of the Dickinson COPs program provided support to the National Crime Victims Walk as volunteers braved strong winds to walk in support of crime victims throughout the nation. The COPs units monitored the progress of the walkers and were there to offer assistance to any who had problems.
Left to Right: COPs members: R. Hebert, C. Boling, Jerry Garry, S. Newberry, (Not pictured – J. Coker, C. Hayes) and DPD Liaison Officer Tony Valdez.
Dickinson Police Department Earns the Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices Recognition Program Award! 
In the 1990’s the Texas Police Chiefs Association sought ways to improve law enforcement operations in Texas. One result was the creation of the Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices Recognition Program. Through this program, police departments throughout the state are encouraged to increase educational requirements, develop a “Code of Ethics’, develop an effective Internal Affairs and Professional Standards Units, and work with the state agency to develop statewide competencies (TCLEOSE). Participation in the program is voluntary but carries with it mandatory compliance of 164 Best Practices for Texas Law Enforcement and a four year cycle of annual reports and proofs of compliance.
In 2010, Dickinson Police Department Chief Ron Morales initiated the process of bringing this department in to compliance with the Best Practices criteria. Captain Jay Jaekel was given the task of coordinating the documentation and compliance process. All supervisors and many officers throughout the department provided input, gathered the necessary data and through their direct efforts made it a true departmental study. The process involved electronic submission of data and on-site inspections by certified examiners from other departments and the Best Practices organization. The result of their effort was rewarded when on 12/21/2011, the department was notified that it had successfully completed all phases of evaluation and earned the Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices Recognition Program Award!
While the process involved was long and detailed, the benefits of being a “Recognized” department are multiple. Perhaps the most significant are the establishment and implementation of clear and consistent policies, addressing necessary and mandated training in critical areas, the use of performance evaluations designed to give meaningful feedback to employees, and addressing the use of proper and necessary equipment. Clear policies tell how the department wants things done and minimizes arbitrary decisions. Adequate training in the tools, laws, and procedures that an officer will use in the course of duty address the most acceptable way in which to complete a task and lessen the possibility that he/ she will end up as a defendant in a civil court. Required feedback on performance based evaluations enhances an officer’s ability to improve, to grow professionally, and to document skills/ abilities that allow for future professional growth. Finally, with the structure of ‘best practices’ in place, all officers as-well-as the community share a sense of confidence in knowing that each officer has demonstrated competence with the weapons, laws, and tools at his/ her disposal.
The Dickinson City Council and the citizens of the community share a sense of pride with the Dickinson Police Department in achieving an important step that reflects the commitment of DPD in establishing and maintaining a positive, progressive, and professional program!
League City Receives Two Awards From National Association of Town Watch
The League City Police Department has been recognized by the National Association of Town Watch as a National Award Winner for outstanding participation in the 28th Annual National Night Out program. The City was one of only 39 similar-sized cities in the nation to receive the award and one of only 5 in the state of Texas. The department organizes local registration for neighborhoods and community groups, and assists those groups by providing bags with safety materials and brochures as well as National Night Out and League City Police Department giveaways. The League City Police Department, Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, other City staff members and elected officials visit each of the registered neighborhoods to help promote crime prevention and safety. More than 35 communities registered for National Night Out in 2011.
“National Night Out is one of the best community events the City hosts. It allows us all the opportunity to get to know our neighbors as well as City staff, such as police officers and firefighters, who we can call upon in an emergency situation. It really brings everyone together, “ said Mayor Tim Paulissen. “I am extremely proud of the work the police department does to organize National Night Out, and very pleased they are being recognized for this amazing community and police partnership.”
In addition to the National Night Out Community Events the League City Police Department also participated in the National Night Out “Project 365”. All National Night Out host organizations are asked to designate a particular 'problem area' in their community and work toward correcting that problem within an estimated 365 days. Officer Christy Galyean of the League City Police Department targeted Snug Harbor, an abandoned apartment complex with a high rate of police activity. Typical police calls to the area over the last four years include: noise disturbance, narcotic activity, abandoned vehicles as well as one homicide. Officer Galyean took the initiative to visit the property in 2010 and found a number of dangerous conditions including, trash piles, graffiti, abandoned vehicles, bee hives, drug paraphernalia, broken glass and razor blades. In addition, there was no fence to secure the area. She photographed the area and she and others in the police department began working with the City’s Code Compliance Department to declare Snug Harbor a dangerous building. The city worked to obtain bids for demolition, asbestos abatement, bee removal, and other demolition costs. The City then worked with the bank that had the lien on the property to have the building demolished.
“The demolition of this building makes the entire area a more pleasant place. It’s not only a safer environment for the those who live near the area, but it’s also helped to discourage criminal activity in that area in the future, “ said Acting Police Chief Doug Wologo. Wologo encourages the police department’s area coordinators to continue to participate in the National Night Out program and is already working with the team on a “Project 365” target area for 2012.
TGCCPA Member Receives National Award from the Attorney General
Attorney General Eric Holder, head of the U.S. Department of Justice, presented TGCCPA member Rob Barnes with the 2011 award for Outstanding Community Outreach Efforts during a recent visit to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston. Rob currently serves as the Community Relations Coordinator and Deputy Security Manager for the USAO, after having been a county and federal law enforcement officer in Houston since 1990.
Also honored for the competitive national award were federal prosecutors Bob Stabe, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri Zack and Megan Paulson. Together, the four team members developed and launched a multi-media crime prevention and community outreach effort entitled “Internet Safety—It’s Not Just the Computer Anymore.” To date, almost 4000 people have seen the presentation throughout the region as part of the DOJ Project Safe Childhood goal to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
Attorney General Eric Holder has made one of the department’s four key priorities the protection of those most vulnerable – children, the elderly, and victims of hate crimes, human trafficking and exploitation. “Through their work in urban, rural and tribal communities – and through cutting-edge online efforts – these individuals are advancing bold, innovative and collaborative solutions to keep our children safe from all forms of exploitation and abuse,” said Attorney General Holder. “By focusing on prevention and intervention, as well as proven enforcement and prosecution strategies, these award recipients are strengthening our ability to protect children in need and at risk, and to bring offenders to justice.”
Since its launch in January 2010 the program’s continued growth and development in the Southern District of Texas includes a total of 12 Assistant U.S. Attorneys along with Rob making presentations, in both English and Spanish, to teachers, school administrators, parents and youth.
The U.S Attorney's Office serves 43 counties from five offices in Houston, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo. Duties of the Office include prosecution of such federal crimes as bank robbery, fraud, public corruption, human trafficking, child pornography, and organized crime; handling civil litigation for federal agencies; and collection of debts owed to the federal government.
Residents clean graffiti off signs in communities
While spending time with her father during spring break vacation, Desiree Amstutz noticed the prevalence of graffiti on streets signs and concrete walls throughout the community.
Though they were about to go see a movie, Desiree knew there was something she could do.
Desiree started cleaning the graffiti off of the signs and concrete with the help of her father, Jose Amstutz, in the Kings Mill subdivision then later areas around Loop 494 and the Kings Manor subdivision with all of their own supplies.
“It was the right thing to do. God did not create the earth for us to trash it. I wanted to be a good citizen, so when I saw all of the graffiti, I wanted to find a way we could clean up some of the signs and make the neighborhoods look cleaner,” Desiree said.
Even though it was her spring break vacation, Desiree worked side by side with her father to clean various forms of graffiti off of the signs using a special compound, gloves and towels.
For more of this story, go here.