The Precinct One Contract Deputy Program
The Precinct One Contract Deputy Program is designed to provide a highly visible, responsive, crime prevention-oriented neighborhood patrol function. The main objectives of this program are crime prevention and immediate police services to the citizens in need. The service is provided to subdivision and to homeowners associations within the city limits and in the unincorporated areas of Harris County, Texas.
The Contract Deputy Program is not a security service employing part-time or off-duty police officers. It is, however, a respected law enforcement program provide by the Constable’s Office. Precinct One employs qualified, professional peace officers that work forty hours a week, providing police services in their assigned area of responsibility, called contracts
Certified Police Officers
The employees of Harris County, Precinct One, Constable’s Patrol Division are certified Police officers, licensed by the state to enforce the laws of the State of Texas. The constable on patrol are Harris County deputies. The deputies are uniformed, armed and drive distinctively marked, emergency equipped, law enforcement vehicles.
All deputies receive continuous training as mandated by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education. This training keeps the deputies abreast of recent laws and decisions handed down by the courts.
Concept of the Contract Deputy Constable’s Program
Homeowner’s Associations who contract with the County for this program are assigned deputies who will patrol within geographical boundaries of that neighborhood, forty hours per week, on a five day work schedule. Deputies will focus their attention on patrolling their area of responsibility unless they are on a police service call or citizen assistance response. Your neighborhood will benefit by the following:
High visibility by patrolling marked vehicles. This greatly reduces the criminal’s Opportunity to violate the law.
Daily patrolling enables the deputies to become familiar with the neighborhood, thereby alerting them to “out of the ordinary” situations, such as suspicious person or vehicles.
This familiarity will enable the deputies to minimize their response time on calls. A deputy response time to calls within the assigned contract area will average two to five minutes.
Knowing the deputies are only a phone call away and minutes from their home results in feeling of security and confidence by the residents.
The program is designed so that whenever your deputy is not on duty, the residents can still call the Precinct One dispatcher, who will dispatch the nearest available deputy. In emergency you are urged to call 911 in addition to the Precinct One dispatcher.
Contract members will receive telephone stickers with the direct Dispatch number to facilitate calling for service.
In a addition to preventing crime and/or apprehending criminals, the deputies perform many valuable services, i.e., searching for missing persons, taking reports, traffic control and / or traffic enforcement, recovering property, rending citizens assistance, etc.
Vacation Watch
While away overnight or longer, your house can receive, special attention during the hours the deputy assigned to your area is on duty. Request for this service should be made one week in advance when possible. The vacation watch form may be obtained from a designated person in your subdivision, from the deputy who patrols your area or by calling the Constable’s Office.
Home Security Surveys
This service is provided to help homeowners better secure their homes. When a home passes a home security survey, the homeowner is eligible to receive a reduction in their homeowner’s insurance rates. The Constable provides this service at no cost to the homeowner. The service can be scheduled through our office and is provided weekdays during normal business hours.
Traffic Enforcement
We will respond to reckless or thoughtless drivers who endanger the live and property of others, particularly in school zones and through streets. Usually a small amount of traffic enforcement in these areas will result in an immediate and noticeable decrease in violations.
Community Programs
This agency is in partnership with several national programs such as McGruff, D.A.R.E., National Night Out and Children Identification. In addition, deputies can provide seminars at community meetings on personal safety and crime prevention.
Accountability
To insure that the residents receive services for which they contract, it is necessary that there be one person, referred to as security or community representative, who will act as a liaison between the Constable’s Office and residents of each subdivision.
The deputies on patrol will provide activity reports on a daily basis to their Security-Community Representative and meet with them regularly to exchange information. The Constable or his representative will meet with the Security/ Community Representative at their request.
Liability
Harris County is self-insured for liability and the Texas Torts Claim Act, Vernon Codes Annotated, Civil Practice and Remedies Coder, Section 101.001 cover its employees.
The County and its employees have liability exposure limited to $100,000 per accidents and/claims that occur while in the course and scope of their employment for Harris County, Texas.
Cost
Contract Deputy Program contracts must be approved by the Harris County Commissioner’s Court. Contract within the City of Houston must be approved by the City Council. The County will pay twenty percent (20%) of the cost for contracts within the Houston city limits and thirty (30%) of the cost in the unincorporated areas of Harris County. Residents of the subdivision subscribing to the program pay the remaining percentages.