Ask The Mayor

Q. - My house was recently robbed on 11-16-08. After we made the 911 call it took the officer 20 minutes to make it to my home.

 

I asked the officer how a nice neighborhood like mine could have so many burgularies and he responded with "there is only me and one other officer that patrols the
whole North side of Terrell at night."

 

How can we expect two officers to drive around and make sure all the neighborhood's are safe. There have been 3 robberies in the last 3 weeks in my neighborhood.

 

What is the Police Department going to do to stop the robberies from happening in my area. and the day after my house was robbed so was my church.

 

Terrell is beginning to get a little rediculous with all these robberies.

 

Answer - Thank you for your question.

 

Having your house or business burglarized is an infuriating and frustrating experience that I know first hand.

 

Your question about more police coverage is frequently asked. If a person
asking that question thinks about it for just a moment it becomes clear that there is no way that any city could provide enough police officers to
prevent burglary.

 

Most household burglars are exposed to the street for only an instant. Even if we had 20 officers patrolling the City at night the odds of catching someone breaking in would be extremely small.

 

We are working to reduce burglaries by:

 

• Maximizing police presence throughout the City with active patrolling.
• The Council has authorized increased funding to increase the size of the force this year.
• Continuing to encourage Citizens to participate in crime prevention by:
  • securing their property and locking their doors
  • calling the police about any suspicious activity
  • especially by looking out for their neighbors by organizing Neighborhood Crime Watches.

 

Any citizen who wants more information can contact the Terrell Police
Department.

 

Sincerely,

 

Hal Richards, Mayor