Community Talks Crime with Top Cop

About 100 Bellaire residents attended a community meeting about revitalizing the city’s Neighborhood Watch program Wednesday, and had the opportunity to question Bellaire Police Chief Byron Holloway.
Holloway did his best to reassure Bellaire residents that a cluster of brazen armed robberies and home burglaries in July was a seasonal uptick, and that crime in Bellaire this year is only 12 percent higher than it was in 2013.
“I am not making light of it. Keep in mind that crime goes on all around our city. When it occurs in a compressed time, it gets a lot more attention,” Holloway said.
But, one major reason for the crime increase in Bellaire is the latest building boom in the city. Residential construction during the first quarter of 2014 increased by 48 percent when compared to the first quarter of 2013, according to the Bellaire Community Development
Burglaries have increased by about 200 percent, Holloway said, because residential construction sites are a target for thieves of building materials.
The Bellaire Police Department is attempting to revive a Neighborhood Watch program, which involves neighbors getting to know neighbors, and reporting any suspicious activity to the police department. Holloway said the department would work with any neighborhood group that wants to start such a program.
“The better you know your neighbors, the better this community is as a whole,” Holloway said.
He cited the example of a Bellaire resident who called police recently at 3 a.m. to advise that he had observed some men in his neighborhood who appeared to be “pulling on car doors.”
“It turns out they were breaking into cars,” Holloway said. “We think they may have been involved in as many as 20 car burglaries that night.” Four suspects have been arrested in that case, the chief said.
“That’s just an example that we are very dependent on getting information from you about suspicious activity,” Holloway said.
He also urged residents to participate in National Night Out on October 7, a community-wide effort to get neighbors to know each other and meet with Bellaire police officers. Last year, more than 42 neighborhoods in Bellaire held National Night Out events, which was a record, Holloway said.
In response to questions about whether Bellaire needs to hire more police officers, Holloway said it’s more important right now for the Bellaire Police Department to “maintain our current authorized” staffing levels. Holloway explained that Bellaire is in the process of filling some vacant positions in the department.
The proposed city budget for 2015 also includes funding for Bellaire to hire an additional motorcycle officer, he said.
The chief also offered several safety tips to residents who are concerned about crime.
Because a couple of the armed robberies in July happened to pedestrians, he advised: “Remain alert, walk with others, and watch out for any activity that just doesn’t feel right to you.”
Another surprising tip from Holloway was that residential burglars frequently knock on doors, before attempting to commit their crimes. He advised Bellaire residents not to open their doors to unknown persons, but to tell them loudly (through the door) that the Bellaire police are on their way. Then, Holloway suggested that residents call police.
Legitimate business persons will wait until the police arrive, but burglars will leave, Holloway said.
In response to questions from residents about burglar alarms and video surveillance cameras, Holloway said they would not stop crime. But, he said, alarms can make a difference in how long a burglar or thief stays inside a property, and cameras are very helpful tools for solving crimes.
In response to an anonymous question about whether the Bellaire Police Department had changed any of its policies since Corporal Jimmie Norman was murdered on Christmas Eve, 2012, Holloway gave an emotional and adamant response.
“”I can say there have been no changes,” Holloway said. “Corporal Norman did nothing inappropriate. This was a bad guy. Corporal Norman was doing his job, and it cost Corporal Norman his life.”
Harlem H Lewis II was recently sentenced to the death penalty, after a Harris County jury found him guilty of capital murder in the shootings of Corporal Norman and business owner Terry Taylor. Taylor was attempting to help Norman when he was killed.
Representatives of the Bellaire Public Works Department and the Fire Department also distributed hurricane safety tips to residents who attended the meeting. September is the busiest month of hurricane season for the Houston region.
Public Works Director Brant Gary and Fire Chief Darryl Anderson also explained city procedures during and after a hurricane.
Anderson praised Bellaire residents for their response in the wake of Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Many residents were without power for as long as three weeks after that massive storm.
“Your response — the way you treated each other — was nothing short of phenomenal,” Anderson said.