With summer’s unique dangers approaching and June being Public Safety Month, District F Councilmember Tiffany D. Thomas launched the “Summer of Safety” initiative, a series of events and citywide campaigns focused on the health and safety of District F residents.
With an overarching goal of improving the quality of life for all District F constituents and Houstonians across the city, the initiative kicks off with a Town Hall Meeting hosted by Thomas, Houston’s Chief of Police Troy Finner, Harris County District Attorney Special Prosecutor C. O. Bradford, and representatives from the Mayor’s Office of Gang Prevention and Intervention.
“This year’s focus centers on our young people. School is out and the summer can create space and opportunity for young people to find themselves in trouble. I want to offer communities and families the resources to help them prepare and safeguard themselves from potential dangers,” said Thomas.
District F includes Alief, Westchase, Tanglewilde, Briar Meadow, Westmont, and the historic Piney Point. As chair of Housing and Community Affairs for the City of Houston, longtime District F resident Thomas oversees priorities related to Housing, Veteran Affairs, Homelessness, and Solid Waste.
Violent crime in District F is down by 21% compared to this time last year. The latest crime analysis showed overall violent crime is down 12% in Houston, and the murder rate is down 27% compared to last year.
Former District F resident Tre Norrison likes the direction District F is headed.
“Just a few years ago, it seems, District F, especially Alief, had gone down with crime and such, but that councilwoman, Thomas, has delivered the goods, like the new neighborhood center, this safety summer program and a bunch of other things.”, said Norrison.
Cynthia Desmond isn’t a District F resident, but she appreciates Thomas’s safety initiative.
“It’s encouraging to see city leaders being proactive about safety rather than just reacting after something goes wrong or someone gets hurt, or worse,” said Desmond, who said she was going to share the “Summer of Safety” information to friends of hers who live in Thomas’s district.
“No matter where you live in Houston, you deserve a fun and safe summer holiday,” added Thomas, who highlighted some activities that contributed to the violent crime decrease in District F, including increased cadet pay, 50 flock cameras, overtime hours for Midwest HPD to address after-hour clubs, the installation of 25 streetlights, and Mayor Sylvester Turner’s One Safe Houston.
“Summer of Safety” elements, include:
District F Town Hall Meeting: June 26 at 6:30p.m. at West Houston Institute at HCC
Updates from city officials, council members, and department representatives
Swim & Water Safety Seminar: July 15 at 10a.m. at The Alief Neighborhood Center
Beginners swimming class and water safety tips for the pool and/or the lake
Carbon monoxide/Smoke Detector Distribution: Friday, June 30 at 9a.m. in District F
Distribution of home fire safety tips and recommendations
The city released a survey in December 2022 with about 2,500 Houstonians rating how important the city’s top priorities are to them, and 70% of survey takers agreed that public safety tops the list.
