In a detailed presentation to Councilmembers at their Monday, July 6 Regular Virtual Meeting, MCTX Police Chief Mike Berezin provided the department’s annual report, highlighting success stories throughout the year and discussing initiatives such as transparency and the Data-Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS).
Also, during the meeting District D Councilmember Floyd Emery, on behalf of the Council, proclaimed July 6, 2020 as “Missouri City Police Department Appreciation Day”. To view the proclamation, click this link: https://bit.ly/38Hi9eV.
“We are consistently being ranked among the safest cities in the state and in the nation,” Chief Berezin said during the presentation. MCPD ranks as the 22nd safest city in Texas by LawnStarter, the 34th in Texas for safe streets by Alarms.org, and 49th in Texas by SafeWise.
One of the key highlights Chief Berezin pointed out was that through MCPD’s continued partnership with Ring, a home security company, the department received access to more than 6,000 cameras in an effort to prevent and solve crimes.
“Any time there is a crime in an area, we are quickly notified and we canvas the area and ask to look at videos from peoples’ homes, and that’s been quite successful for us,” Berezin said.
To remain in compliance with the Texas Police Chiefs Association, MCPD officers are required to participate in continuing education. In 2019, MCPD personnel used the Police One Academy, which is an online training resource, and officers completed 1,563 credit hours.
In his overview of programs and services administered by Police and Code Enforcement, which is managed by the department, Berezin Chief Berezin pointed out several key statistics:
- Property crime was down 5 percent from 2018 and 30 percent in 2019 compared to the five-year average.
- In 2019, the code enforcement division conducted a total of 14,796 actions, including initial inspections, follow-up inspections and removal of signs.
- Violent crime was down 12 percent from 2018 and 35 percent compared to the five-year average.
- DDACTS continued to play a crucial role in reducing the amount of crime, crashes and traffic violations throughout the City by practicing highly-visible traffic enforcement and education. The department recorded 53,312 contacts from 2018 to 2019, and this resulted in a 10 percent reduction in Part one crimes and a 7 percent reduction in crashes.
During the presentation, Chief Berezin also emphasized the “Open Data Initiative” in which MCPD shares information on the City website on a variety of police topics and activities, and general policy issues including End of Year Report, Use of Force Incidents, Automobile Accidents, Citations, Arrests, Racial Profiling Data and Department Member Demographics. To review these records and other MCPD initiatives, visit www.missouricitypolice.org.
Although more residents are staying home this summer compared to previous years due to COVID-19, MCPD still encourages the community to practice home safety. Because online ordering and delivery are more in demand this year, criminals are on the lookout for items that can be taken at a moment’s notice.
Here are some safety tips to keep you and your loved ones safe:
- Lock your doors, even when you are home
- Keep your porch lights on as this helps prevent property crimes
- If you do go on vacation this summer, do not publicly share that you are away from your home as this lets criminals know your home is empty for a prolonged period of time. MCPD offers a “Vacation House Watch” program that sends an officer to your home while you are gone. To register for the program, click here: http://bit.ly/2Oe1edp.
- Follow the phrase, “If you see something, say something.” The non-emergency Police Department phone number is 281-403-8700.
To view Chief Berezin’s full annual report presentation, watch this MCTX City Council video: https://bit.ly/2Ztjraq.
For more information about Missouri City, please watch the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov, like us on Facebook—fb/MissouriCityTX, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat—@MissouriCityTX and Nextdoor, watch Missouri City Television (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-verse) or download the MCTX Mobile app (available for free in Google Play and the Apple app store).