Houston Police Department

April 27, 2006 -- The Houston Police Department along with the Harris County District Attorney and federal law enforcement agencies joined on Wednesday (Apr. 26) to announce measures aimed at reducing crime in Houston.

Among the measures, the Houston Police Department will establish a new mobile command post to direct logistics for more efficient investigation and crime suppression in three southwest Houston police districts that have experienced the largest rise in violent crime.

U-Net, which stands for Unified Neighborhood Enhancement Team, will consist of Houston police officers from various divisions. HPD along with agents from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), U.S. Marshal's office and others will share communications with officers working in "the field", and in the Mobile Command unit ("U-NET"). This mobile command post will be operated 24 hours a day by HPD personnel.

Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt was among city, county, state and federal officials announcing deployment of the "U.N.E.T" vehicle at the Fondren Patrol Division. Chief Hurtt emphasized the importance of bringing more visibility into areas where criminals feel that they can prey on law-abiding citizens. "With this effort we will empower residents to exhibit a `take back our neighborhood' mentality," said Chief Hurtt. "We will be asking our religious and community leaders to visit the command post and help spread this message through walking and talking with residents," said the Chief.

"We are focusing this effort on an area of Houston where we can get the most arrests of the predators who are taking what is most important from our law abiding citizens, that is their sense of security," said Mayor Bill White. "The increase in crime in these three police districts accounts for nearly all, if not all, of the increase in crime in the whole City of Houston."

In addition to seeking violent criminals, officers will be conducting public intoxication sweeps, DWI traffic enforcement, civility ordinance enforcement and use of bike and foot patrols. HPD will also use the command post as a crime prevention and awareness tool, conducting various community programs during daytime hours, encouraging residents to visit the "U-NET" to fingerprint their children and learn more about graffiti and gangs.

The initiative will be funded making use of "Weed and Seed" and criminal initiative federal funds, and the NETT (Neighborhood Enforcement Task Force Team) and on-duty personnel.

For additional information, please contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200.