Houston Police Department

December 15, 2005 -- In an effort to reduce criminal activity and increase the overall quality of life for residents at several apartment complexes throughout the city, the Houston Police Department announced today (Dec. 15) it has implemented what is being called the "Multi-Family Residential Crime Initiatives."

Five apartment complexes have been identified and will be targeted based upon specific criteria: volume of police calls for service, open narcotics dealing, gang related criminal activity, vice related activity such as prostitution, and overall criminal activity at the complexes. Names and addresses of the five targeted apartment complexes are being withheld at this time to protect the ongoing undercover and uniformed operations. Locations and names of the complexes will be released at an undetermined date, midway through the initiatives.

HPD will utilize overtime monies to be used by the Patrol and Special Investigations Commands, including investigators in the Narcotics, Vice and Gang Divisions, to work collectively with officers from various patrol divisions. Investigators in the Vice Division will be conducting street level prostitution sweeps, identifying persons managing prostitutes and conducting prostitution reversal operations to discourage those individuals frequenting the areas looking for prostitutes. Vice investigators will also provide information to the FAST Unit to pursue compliance from property managers and owners who fail to effectively manage their properties.

Patrol Divisions will dramatically increase uniformed police presence in the affected areas of the targeted apartment complexes. Officers will be in patrol vehicles, on bicycle and foot patrols in the targeted apartment complexes. Officers will conduct surveillance and criminal and gang investigations in an effort to reduce crime.

With these planned initiatives, the Houston Police Department aims to decrease crime and improve the level of public safety for citizens living in and around the targeted apartment complexes.

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