| Public Intoxication a Thing of the Past in Gulfton
By Andres Escobar, CCDO Visiting Fellow
Sgt. Chuck Pugh and Jesse Gutierrez run the public intoxication initiative.
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Sometimes little things make a big impact.
Like most Weed and Seed sites, Gulfton, TX, started out with a strategy to target its chronic violent crime problems—robbery, aggravated assault, domestic violence, gangs, and drug trafficking—but from there, it also attempted to stem crime that is less violent but still destructive to the community. One such crime, public intoxication, had been a constant thorn in the side of the community.
Gulfton, a subdivision of a neighborhood in Houston, is a transient community with a sizeable immigrant population, according to Sgt. Chuck Pugh, who runs the Public Intoxication Initiative. “Crimes per capita and a lower social economical area with a lot of migrant workers and a lot of day laborers make this small area seem like it has a lot of problems, but it also has a lot of people,” he said. One of the area's biggest problems was people who assaulted and robbed day laborers. When intoxicated people were out in public, they also became vulnerable to being victimized by young gang members. They were assaulted, robbed, and injured, and some died.
Jesse Gutierrez, Weed and Seed Coordinator and Program Manager, and Patricia Harrington, Director of the Mayor's Anti-Gang Office, have worked hard on the initiative. “What really makes the program work is the collaboration between the community residents and the police officers,” Gutierrez said. “One of the key things that the Weed and Seed program in the Gulfton community has provided is the opportunity for residents and police officers to work together towards a common goal.”
Gutierrez said there was an outcry from the community for such an initiative to be implemented, and police officers confirmed that these problems were out on the streets. Monthly Steering Committee and Weed Task Force meetings now give officers and residents a chance to share information about the target area, which covers 69 apartment complexes in a 3.5 square mile area with 60,000 to 70,000 residents.
“Community residents are very outspoken when it comes to identifying the problem areas in the community, and the police officers are good at taking that information, analyzing it, and coming up with an action plan that will be most effective,” he said.
At the Weed Task Force meetings, officers use crime mapping, statistics, and feedback from community stakeholders such as residents, business owners, and schools. Apartment managers also keep police abreast of information regarding their residents, and police officers perform strategic sweeps that pinpoint troubled areas so that time and money can be used effectively.
“The key is to listen to the people on how they are being impacted by the crime and then catering the program accordingly,” said Sgt. Pugh.
As a result of the initiative, the community has seen a reduction in assault and domestic violence cases. Police enforce the City of Houston 's ordinance on public intoxication, which makes it illegal to be intoxicated when you become a danger to yourself or others. Behaviors such as urinating in public or indecent exposure are not tolerated and are punished by jail time.
“Public intoxication is very simple in that it is time served and they are released the very next day, but for the time they are in jail, they are not victimized nor are they victimizing anybody else,” Gutierrez said.
In addition, cars are no longer being bumped and scratched by intoxicated people, there is no longer a stench of urine on the sidewalk, and there are no bottles and cans around the community's businesses or apartment complexes. The feedback from the community was almost immediate, according to Gutierrez, and he was constantly thanked by business owners, apartment managers, and residents because they were no longer being harassed.
After 2 years, Gulfton has found great success in its Public Intoxication Initiative. Public intoxication is a crime that has a trickledown effect to other crimes; the results of the initiative's success were felt immediately and have had a long lasting effect. The feedback from community residents and business owners has been overwhelmingly positive.
The Public Intoxication Initiative was part of a Special Emphasis Project, and it cost $14,350 for overtime initiatives to be carried out. Continued support from officers and fine-tuning of the program will help ensure its sustainability and success. Because of the program's success to date, Gutierrez expects to get future funding with the help of the city council and other government agencies.
For more information, contact:
Jesse Gutierrez
Gulfton Weed and Seed Program Manager
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