PUBLIC SAFETY Local business owners band together against Cypress Station crime
BY EMILY LINCKE
The contract—which began July 15 with HCSO— requires the deputies to devote 80% of their time patrolling CNP Utility District’s 712-acre coverage area, which includes Cypress Station, according to court documents. While the 10 approved deputies are a good start, Murray said he thinks 39 total are needed. Harris County entities have also been working to target violence in areas such as Cypress Station, said Lupe Washington, director of Harris County Public Health’s Community Health and Violence Prevention Services division. Since its Nov. 1 launch, CHVPS’ Hospital-Linked Violence Interruption Program has served 82 victims of gunshots, stabbings or aggravated assaults, Washington said. The program includes ZIP code 77090, which covers Cypress Station. This program is vital, Washington said, because data shows 40%-50% of victims of this type of violence will be revictimized within ve years. “We’re excited to be leading these types of alternative programs that [are] complementary to law enforcement, so that we can try and target violence from a public health perspective,” Washington said. Harris County budgets $5 million annually for CHVPS programs, according to HCPH.
MULTIFACETED APPROACH Crime in the Cypress Station area is being tackled by both local business owners and Harris County ocials.
Reducing crime in the Cypress Station area is a priority, as it will benet residents and businesses alike, local stakeholders say. “If we can bring police into the area, we can drastically improve [crime]. It’ll be a lot better for the residents. All the businesses will make more money and [it] will be safe for sta,” said Jake Murray—owner of Roundhill Townhomes, a rental property in Cypress Station. Located along the west side of I-45 where it intersects with FM 1960 in Spring, Cypress Station has been identied by the Harris County Sheri’s Oce as one of the most dangerous areas in unincorporated Harris County, as previously reported by Community Impact . Since February, Murray said he and about 25 other local business owners have worked to nd solutions. One of the ways the group hopes to improve safety is by asking the CNP Utility District to create a law enforcement contract for 10 deputies to patrol the area—an initiative that was approved by Harris County Commissioners Court on June 27. The contract is unfunded by commissioners court, according to the motion. It is expected to cost about $4 million across the next ve scal years, beginning in FY 2023-24, according to court documents.
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CYPRESS STATION DR.
1960
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BUSINESSCOMMUNITYLED EFFORTS
10 deputies were approved by Harris County Commissioners Court for a contract on June 27 with CNP Utility District, which is expected to cost about $4 million over the next ve scal years. 25 business owners are working together to ask local apartments to tighten their leasing standards
COUNTY EFFORTS
82 victims of violence have been assisted since Nov. 1 through the Harris County Hospital-Linked Violence Interruption Program
SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT, JAKE MURRAY, HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH’S COMMUNITY HEALTH AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICESCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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SPRING KLEIN EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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