In north Houston, a holiday safety initiative utilizes drones to monitor shopping centers, aiming to deter crimes amid heightened last-minute holiday shopping.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Thousands of shoppers are making a last-minute push ahead of the holidays, and law enforcement officials say that’s also when crimes of opportunity tend to increase.
In north Houston near Spring, Harris County Precinct 4 deputies are taking to the skies — using a drone to monitor a busy shopping center and keep an extra eye on public safety.
“I’m mirroring my image to this monitor. We’ve already got clearance,” said Lt. Roer Wolsey with Harris County Precinct 4.
The clearance allows Wolsey to control the drone and view live footage from a wide-angle camera inside his patrol vehicle. From there, he can watch for suspicious behavior and alert deputies on the ground if something appears out of place.
“If they start showing signs of probable criminal activity, I’ll begin recording,” Wolsey said. “If a crime does occur, I can notify officers and direct them to intercept the suspect.”
Capt. Buddy Gheen said the drone patrols are part of Precinct 4’s annual holiday safety initiative, aimed at preventing crimes like vehicle break-ins.
“It’s not only to help shoppers feel at ease, but also to let potential criminals know to stay away,” Gheen said.
While KHOU 11 was on-site, deputies even detained an alleged shoplifter.
In addition to drone patrols, deputies are also working parking lots on foot, looking for unlocked vehicles or valuables left in plain sight. Shoppers may notice a reminder placed on their windshield if deputies spot something that could attract thieves.
“See, this is good — there’s nothing visible inside the vehicle,” Deputy Tressie Davila said as she checked cars with a flashlight.
Davila explained that purses, wallets, or shopping bags left inside a car can make it an easy target.
“All it takes is a couple of seconds,” she said. “They’ll break in.”
If deputies spot a concern, they leave a warning ticket — not a citation — reminding drivers to secure their belongings.
“We put it on the windshield, and on the back there are additional safety tips,” Davila said.
Officials say the goal is simple: keep people and their property safe during the busy holiday shopping season.
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