The City of Houston has requested state assistance to bolster police presence in communities still grappling with power outages following Hurricane Beryl.
As of Thursday, over a million households remain without electricity. According to a spokesperson from Houston’s main utility company, 500,000 customers are expected to still be without power into the coming week.
Houston Police Department Chief Larry Satterwhite emphasized the urgent need for additional officers as frustrations mount four days after the storm.
“We have teams out there working to restore power, and we’re supporting them,” Satterwhite stated. “Our crews are also installing generators at intersections in areas where it’s particularly dark. The demands on us during this outage are significant.”
A contingent of 100 officers from across Texas, predominantly from North Texas cities including Dallas, Fort Worth, Allen, Grand Prairie, Plano, Trophy Club, McKinney, Carrollton, Mesquite, Irving, and Garland, will assist Houston. They were seen off by Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia at headquarters on Thursday morning.
“They’re there to assist their community,” Garcia remarked. “They’ll be patrolling in pairs, working 12-hour shifts, particularly during the critical nighttime hours.”
During a press briefing, Houston Mayor John Whitmire expressed gratitude to Acting Governor Dan Patrick and the Texas Department of Emergency Management for authorizing this collaborative effort.
“We’re particularly concerned about traffic management with 1,400 traffic lights still out,” Whitmire noted. “Additionally, these officers will provide relief to HPD officers who have been working extended shifts, allowing them time to attend to their families. This partnership is crucial for ensuring public safety and supporting our first responders.”
According to TDEM, Texas has utilized similar programs since the late 1990s to deploy local law enforcement to disaster zones.
“It’s about leveraging resources to assist in another community’s crisis, funded by state or federal resources,” explained TDEM spokesperson Kidd. “It’s the right approach.”
The North Texas officers will remain in Houston at least until Sunday night, with the possibility of an extension based on the progress of power restoration efforts by CenterPoint Energy.
