From the Desk of Chief Ray Schultz,

Usually, I start my Christmas holiday safety and warning series of messages just before the Thanksgiving holiday but considering the Christmas decorations are already being installed at the malls, along many area roadways, and with the stores setting up their Christmas light displays, I figured I better start early.

First, believe it or not, Christmas is only 6 weeks away. And with all the stores getting an early start I am afraid so will the bad guys. So here are my first regular holiday cautions/tips for 2023. 

One of the most important things is to remember to always keep valuables out of sight when placing them in your vehicles. Packages, bags, and purses should be out of sight and whenever possible locked in trunks.

Next, ensure that your vehicle is locked every time you leave it, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Car burglars will check as many as 300 or more vehicles during a crime spree. A typical burglary crew will have 2 “walkers” walking down the street or through parking lots pulling on car door handles looking for the unlocked car. Once inside, they are looking for anything that they can quickly sell. Items frequently taken include sunglasses, electronic equipment, cash, and gift cards.  

The other type of car burglaries that increase this time of year is what we call “sliders”.  Sliders are criminals who usually hang out at gas stations and while you are filling up your vehicle with gas, they sneak around to the passenger side of your vehicle, open the door, and take your purse, wallet and/or phone that was sitting on the passenger seat. These guys are so good that most victims don’t even realize they have been robbed until after they return to their car and find their property missing.  To avoid being a victim of sliders, make sure your car is locked while you fuel your vehicle and scan the area looking for people who are hanging around in the area watching you. Continue to watch the entire area and not get too focused on getting your gas. 

The same is true when visiting ATM’s. Scan the area before you exit your vehicle. If you see people hanging out nearby or in other parked cars, you may want to go to a different ATM.  Of course, when you exit your car lock it, conduct your business, and upon returning to your car, immediately relock all the doors.

You also may want to check the settings on your vehicle and see how and when the doors lock and unlock. Many vehicles allow you to adjust the settings so the doors will not automatically unlock when you put the vehicle in park. On many cars, this is the default setting. Some criminals like to wait in parking lots and upon seeing a customer enter the lot and begin to park they will approach on the passenger side of the vehicle. When seeing and hearing the car being placed in park and the doors unlocking, they will quickly open the passenger door, grab a purse or bag, and then flee the area. Many vehicles allow you to adjust the setting to either only unlock the driver’s doors or no doors unless they are unlocked manually. 

Another type of holiday crime is known as the “Dash Off” robbery. This is when a person approaches a shopper, usually in a parking lot and after you have loaded your car with your purchases. In these instances, the criminal will approach from the passenger side of the car and ask you to lower the window to ask a question (sometimes these criminals even wear a yellow vest so you will think they are store employees). Once you lower the window (auto lower) the thief will grab your purse, bag, or other items on the passenger seat and run off.

And finally, always be aware and alert for the distraction thief. These are criminals who are usually working in teams in parking lots. Usually, one will approach you with some type of distraction, i.e. asking for monies, a donation, looking for a lost pet, directions, etc.… while your attention/focus is being distracted, an accomplice is taking your purse or items from either your vehicle or shopping cart. In some cases, the distraction may include a child, so it is important to always keep your guard up.

We do not want any of our residents to be the victims of crime this holiday season. We are stepping up all our patrols this holiday season. Besides providing you with valuable information and safety tips, we will be expanding our patrol areas overlapping into the surrounding jurisdictions.  We are doing this for visibility and deterrence and most importantly to send a clear message this holiday season to any would-be criminals. Stay out of the Villages and stay away from our residents.

But of course, we cannot do this alone. We need you to help be our eyes and ears.  As always, we encourage you to call us when you see suspicious persons, vehicles and/or activity. We will gladly take the call and send officers to the area.  Even though there may not be a crime, our presence will send a strong message that we are present in the area that most often will send the bad guys packing. Our non-emergency number is 713-365-3700. Please add it to your contact list and feel free to use it when needed.  

On Thursday, Officers Boggus and Vasquez stopped by Bunker Hill Elementary School and enjoyed some quality time with students during the lunch hour. Today, our officers will be joining students at Memorial Drive Elementary for their Annual Heroes Lunch in celebration of Veterans Day. Thank you to both schools for the invites.

Saturday, November 11^th is Veterans Day. Our thanks to all our Veterans who work for the Villages and to our residents who are Veterans. Thank You for your service.

Have a great weekend. Chief ray Schultz rschultz@mvpdtx.org

Weekly Crime Report

Vehicles towed due to the operator not having a driver’s license, the vehicle being not registered, and being uninsured.

11/4/23 at 0415 Hours. 400 Block of Strey. The vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation. Upon contacting the driver, officers found the driver to be unlicensed. A check of the license plate found that it was fraudulent. The vehicle was also uninsured.  As the vehicle was being towed officers found a small quantity of cocaine inside of the car.  The DA’s office was contacted but declined charges pending an analysis of the suspected drugs.  The driver was cited, and the vehicle was towed. Additional charges are pending.

11/4/23 at 1515 Hours. 200 Block of Voss. The vehicle was stopped for displaying a fraudulent out of state paper license plate. Officers were able to determine that the driver did not have a driver’s license, the vehicle was not registered, and was uninsured.  The driver was cited, and the vehicle was towed.

11/8/23 at 0145 Hours. 11500 Block of Memorial Drive. Officers stopped the vehicle as it was traveling on a flat tire. Upon speaking with the driver officers were able to determine that the car had not been registered since January 2022, the driver did not have a driver’s license and the car was uninsured.  The vehicle was towed, and the driver was cited for the offenses.

11/8/23 at 2215 Hours. 11800 Block of Taylorcrest. Officers stopped the vehicle after observing a traffic violation.  Through investigation, officers were able to determine the vehicle was not registered and was uninsured.  Additionally, the driver did not have a driver’s license.  The driver was cited, and the vehicle was towed.

Hunters Creek

11/3/23 at 1945 Hours. 11600 Block of Greenbay. Possession of Narcotics. Officers initiated a traffic stop after observing a traffic violation.  Upon approaching the vehicle, officers could smell the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. The driver admitted to smoking marijuana just prior to the stop.  A subsequent search found packaged marijuana, cocaine, Xanax, Codeine, and promethazine, along with a large quantity of cash.   All items were seized and tagged into evidence for drug testing as per the DA’s Office. The 19 and 20-year-old suspects were arrested and booked on marijuana charges due to the quantity being over 4 ounces.  Additional charges are pending.

11/8/23 at 2145 Hours. 500 Block of Trails End. Theft of a License Plate. Officers were contacted by Katy PD about a vehicle belonging to a resident possibly being involved in a crime in Katy.  Officers contacted the resident and were able to verify that a license plate was missing from the victim’s vehicle. Officers were able to determine that the plate had been stolen from the vehicle while parked at Katy Mills Mall. Officers generated a police report to document the incident.

Piney Point

11/9/23 at 0230 Hours. 11700 Block of Memorial Drive. Driving While Intoxicated. Officers initiated a traffic stop after observing the vehicle fail to maintain a proper traffic lane.  Upon approaching the driver officers detected signs of intoxication.  The driver was administered sobriety tests which he failed. A subsequent breath test showed the driver to be twice the legal limit.  During the investigation, a passenger was found to be in possession of marijuana and a handgun. Both the 31-year-old driver and the 26-year-old passenger were booked into the Harris County Jail. The vehicle was towed.