July Central Blotter
Power Shift Night Officers: 8pm-4am
4th Detail shift works from 8 pm until 4 am and it is a unique shift that overlaps with 3rd and 5th Details. During our shift, especially in the Central District, we see a trend of similar calls for service and most of them involve the consumption of alcohol. This tends to lead to a variety of calls for service involving crimes and city ordinance violations. By the time our shift begins, the local downtown groups have already been consuming alcohol throughout the day and are very intoxicated. When the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) rises, so does the propensity for crimes to occur. A few crimes that come to mind are Disorderly Conduct, Battery, and Theft. Along with the crimes that are committed, they are followed by city ordinances such as open intoxicants on public streets, panhandling, public urination, and disorderly conduct.
When we encounter these subjects, we are pro-active in helping them seek treatment – whether it is taking them to Tellurian Detoxification Center or to a local hospital and encouraging them to seek help that is available through these organizations. In addition, we hold subjects accountable for their actions if a crime or a city ordinance violation occurs.
Along with the local downtown groups, we have an influx of subjects that visit the downtown entertainment zone throughout the week. This will add to the alcohol consumption and an increase in calls for service for crimes and city ordinance violations. This is particularly an issue on the weekends. During this time, the power shift in the Central District has additional Officers working Friday and Saturday nights to assist with the increase in calls for service. We are also fortunate to have the Downtown Safety Initiative (DSI) cadre out on weekend nights--providing an additional 8-15 officers working each night.
Not only does alcohol consumption become an issue for the victims of the above crimes, but it contributes to poor decision making and can lead to health and wellness issues for the subject consuming alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol consumption is a large issue for the Central District and we are working diligently to address this. If you observe this behavior, please report it so we can continue to address this issue for the health and safety of everyone involved.
Sergeant Daniel Perez