HOUSTON -- Crime is dropping in the Sharpstown area of Houston. Neighborhood leaders credit more active neighbors who often alert a partnership of private security and police to potential crimes before they happen.
"I love it here," said Janet McGlimery standing on the front lawn of the Sharpstown home where she's lived for 50 years. Lately the folks next door have been looking out more than ever.
"Everybody keeps an eye out for everybody else," said McGlimery.
More vigilant neighbors are calling in concerns to extra eyes on the streets. Sharpstown's Civic Association brought in SEAL private security guards when they let their constable contract lapse in fall 2012.
"Although the constables did a great job for us, the program had become, frankly, very expensive," said Jim Bigham, President of the Sharpstown Civic Association.
For a third less of the cost, the SEAL guards now run targeted patrols based on HPD data. A dedicated crime analyst, who works for the civic association, runs the data every day.
"These are three little mini patrol areas," said Bigham, pointing to targeted areas on a map.
They found burglary was the biggest problem in the subdivision, but those stats are falling. They dropped from 304 burglaries in 2013 to 177 last year, shrinking faster as private patrols ramped up.
Police are still actively involved in the neighborhood too. Neighbors call SEAL for immediate response, then HPD comes to investigate. A combination of people, police and private security, neighbors say, means a new day in Sharpstown.
"We've turned a corner, no question about it," said Bigham. "Very, very safe place to live."
Sharpstown is a big area and there are still crime concerns in nearby shopping centers, and surrounding apartment complexes. But folks in the Sharpstown subdivision say that's no different than many other commercial areas and that doesn't affect their safety at home.
