Setting an annual caseload record is more or less a yearly tradition now for the Houston Police Department.
But the record set in 2015 raised the bar like never before, as officers handled a whopping 718 cases requiring written reports, compared to the previous mark of 600 set in 2014. The HPD has for years included six full-time officers –– and still does.
“That’s crazy for a town this size,” said Houston Police Chief Tim Ceplina. “It’s amazing to think that the same number of officers are handling what’s going on now. We’re so busy it’s hard to believe.”
Once again leading the way among crimes in Houston are assaults, burglaries and other types of theft. Traffic citations dropped significantly, but Ceplina said there’s a good reason for that.
“It’s understandable because our officers are spending so much more time conducting investigations and writing reports,” he said.
The increase in cases has caused a significant decrease in travel expenses. HPD vehicles drove more than 10,000 fewer miles in 2015 and used more than 800 gallons less fuel.
“That’s not surprising, either, because our officers are working more cases,” Ceplina said. “They’re stopped while investigating, conducting interviews, booking evidence or typing reports.”
Ceplina said the caseload looks ominous from any viewpoint, but it’s even more interesting when compared to that of a police department with a similar roster in a nearby town of similar size. In 2015, the Willow Springs PD’s six officers turned in 318 written reports –– a record for the agency.
To further illustrate the ever-increasing crime rate in Houston, six full-time HPD officers combined to write 489 reports in 2011.
“So we’re up close to 40 reports per officer per year since then,” Ceplina said. “That’s a major increase, and it creates a bit of job stress on the officers.”
Ceplina said one statistic from 2015 stands out in his mind.
“I’m concerned that the number of assaults on law enforcement has gone up,” he said. “We had five last year –– and that was just our municipality, that doesn’t count deputies –– and there were only two the year before. But that fits the national trend; we’re talking about a town of about 2,000 people with six full-time officers, and that compares with any major city per capita.”
Of the six officers, four were at some point assaulted (one more than once).
“That’s a pretty big deal,” Ceplina said. “Two-thirds of the police force got assaulted.”
Drug-related cases handled by Houston police were way up with 57 arrests taking place compared to 25 in 2014.
“That’s a huge increase,” Ceplina said, “but that also kind of follows a national trend.”
Ceplina said he’s proud of his department’s “clearance rate,” or the frequency with which cases are either solved or in some way reach complete closure.
“The national average for case clearance –– either by arrest, being otherwise solved or determined to be unfounded –– is about 25-percent,” he said. “Ours was over 80-percent last year; that’s the highest since I’ve been keeping track of it and it means more than three out of four cases are cleared. That’s pretty amazing.”
UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS
The police station inside Houston City Hall has seen some construction lately, as security has been improved with the addition of walls and doors, and the department’s new evidence holding locker has been mounted in a permanent location.
“It’s all going to make for a better police department,” Ceplina said. “It’s going to safeguard our evidence and the public’s information better. It’s really all about the citizens and doing things in their best interest.”
Ceplina said he hopes to improve the department’s fleet with the addition of a pickup truck. An existing car or SUV would likely be sold to make way for the truck.
“With the amount of evidence we’ve been taking in, a truck would be very beneficial to us,” Ceplina said. “I would prefer we maintain two SUVs and move a car to being a truck. But we’ll look at what the best value for the city is and how we can best spend the taxpayers’ money.”
By mid-February, the HPD’s communication radios should all be digital and capable of being on the statewide MOSWIN system.
“It will be good when we can easily communicate with everyone again,” Ceplina said. “We all need to be on the same page in that area.”
Training requirements for police officers have increased this year, so HPD personnel will now put in 24 hours a year instead of 48 every three years.
“We’ll comply with that,” Ceplina said, “by reviewing the training schedule and finding training that is relevant to what we need or what makes sense for where we are.”
Ceplina, who had been with the HPD for more than 22 years and became chief last October, said he’s glad the department is in good standing with other area agencies and the public in general.
“We’re very lucky to have an outstanding relationship with the sheriff’s department, the highway patrol, and the police departments at Licking, Summersville and Cabool,” he said. “We work well with the surrounding counties, too, and we’re happy with the support they’ve given us.
“Also, the city is good to us and when we have needs they do their best to meet them. And we appreciate the level of public support we get from the community in general.”
Ceplina said he’s overall pleased with the state of the HPD and the way officers handle are handling themselves in the face of the current high-volume situation.
“They’re performing admirably,” he said. “Houston has top-notch officers, and I couldn’t be more tickled with the team we have. I would put them in comparison with any officers in any department anywhere.
“We hope residents of the community appreciate the level of professionalism we take in providing policing to them.”
•Written reports: 718
•Public assists: 1,226
•Peace disturbance: 229
•Domestic disturbance: 54
•Bank escorts: 276
•Funeral escorts: 68
•Security checks: 505
•Alarms answered: 99
•Traffic warnings: 603
•Traffic citations: 285
Arrests
•Felony: 134
•Misdemeanor: 424
•Warrant: 150
“The city is good to us and when we have needs they do their best to meet them. And we appreciate the level of public support we get from the community in general.”
– HPD CHIEF TIM CEPLINA