The Vermont Commons Civic Association’s (VCCA) participation in the Citizen Patrol Program was initiated in May 2011 by one of our neighbors, Cathryn Gabor. She volunteered after hearing Houston Police Officer Wayne Pate’s presentation at the April 2011 VCCA meeting.

The Citizen Patrol (CP) is a community-based volunteer program sponsored by the Houston Police Department (HPD). The goal of the CP is to provide an effective method of discouraging crime while promoting friendlier, safer neighborhoods and to encourage awareness and improved communication among it’s neighbors.

The CP is not governed by a civic association or the Community. However, the residents of the neighborhoods, who may or may not be members of VCCA, are the volunteers for the CP.

To become a volunteer, contact David Hoyer at Hoyer-davidhoyer@sbcglobal.net, the coordinator of Citizen Patrol Program.

VCCA’s Involvement

  • Establishing a communication pathway between VCCA residents and the police department.
  • Providing support for VCCA residents to volunteer for the Citizen Patrol in our neighborhood.

General Information for Citizens Patrollers

  • Our Citizen Patrol covers the neighborhoods of Vermont Commons and Park Civic. (The boundaries include: Shepherd, Westheimer, Peden and Dunlavy).
  • Training is mandatory.
  • Volunteers are issued a Citizen Patrol ID card and are asked to carry the card with them when driving or walking the neighborhood for the Citizen Patrol.
  • Volunteers are asked to report suspicious person(s) or a suspected crime to the HPD by calling directly to their dispatch at 713-884-3131 or 311 or for true emergencies, call Do not confront suspected criminals.
  • Volunteers track and report patrol hours monthly with copies of the reports going to all the volunteers. The HPD only records our driving hours, but both driving and walking hours are tallied in separate reports and reported on the VCCA newsletter.
  • Volunteers report their monthly numbers and crime statistic to the Citizen Patrol coordinator.
  • Encourage your neighbors to call in suspicious person(s) or activity.
  • The training manual for the Citizen Patrol program is available at http://www.vccahouston.org/cop/Training_Manual.pdf
  • An application form is available at: http://www.vccahouston.org/cop/COP_application.pdf
  • HPD requires a signed release form, which is part of the application, available at: http://www.vccahouston.org/cop/COP_authorization.pd

For more information click on the link below: