Police business unit curbing theft From the cover
The big picture
Where crime happens
Law enforcement has identi ed a higher concentration of property crime and theft along I-45, League City’s business district, data from 2025 to early 2026 shows.
Commercial property crime and theft
Gerardo Hernandez, an assistant store manager at the Home Depot near I-45 in League City, said the store was regularly targeted for theft, forcing sta to put a bar around the bins where the lawnmowers were kept. The cumbersome bar made it di cult for customers to shop freely. However, recently, sta were able to remove it after thefts dropped courtesy of a dedicated unit the League City Police Department launched in 2025 to tackle crime along that retail corridor. The department launched the business district unit in July to respond to the high volume of property crime reported from businesses along the highway. “They’re doing a phenomenal job,” Hernandez said. “Just their physical presence in the parking lot has been a deterrent.” The unit, made up of a sergeant, detective, and three o cers, regularly patrols the area to respond quickly to calls, deter shoplifters, and build relationships with local stores. Arthur Tatum, another Home Depot assistant manager, said the unit regularly does “pulse checks” with asset protection sta . “They’re not sitting around not doing anything,” Tatum said.
SPACE CENTER BLVD.
GALVESTON BAY
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was able to connect the individuals involved with a statewide crime ring. “We’re getting more pro cient at doing larger, in-depth investigations,” Kifer said.
the phone to call 911,” Kifer said. The unit has also expanded the department’s abil- ity to pursue larger crime rings. Kifer referenced a case that opened shortly after the unit was created, in which a theft occurred at Best Buy, and the unit
The unit created texting groups to communicate with the businesses without having to go through dispatch, League City Sgt. Jason Kifer said. “They start feeding us intel directly, and our guys are able to get out there before they’ve even lifted
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