Over the past ten years I have lived in Memorial Northwest I have noticed that neighbors are more than eager to ‘say something’ when they see something.  The problem is, SOCIAL MEDIA is not the place to say anything if you want something done about it.  Social media is a great tool to inform neighbors about what is going on, things they notice, and a way to banter ideas back and forth.  If you want to alert someone about a suspicious car it isn’t the place to do it.  Think of your audience being behind a computer, phone, or tablet…but not at the front window or in the front yard.

Memorial Northwest contracts with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to have extra deputies patrol our neighborhood specifically, CALL THEM FIRST!  Once you have passed your own smell test of if it is worthy enough for what you see to contact law enforcement then go back to being a social media warrior but do not expect Facebook or Nextdoor to send emergency help if you need it.

Other non-emergency issues can be handled in a myriad of ways beginning with what has always been available at the clubhouse, or has been in the past and definitely will be in the future, a Harris County Trouble Report.  What I know it to be is different from what I am revising it to be.  My goal over the next month or two will be to make the process more fluid and more accountable on both the homeowner and the Sheriff’s Department to address.  It may start initially as a paper form to print off of the HOA website but I envision it to be a fillable form that can be sent via the website to me so I can then address it to the appropriate shift deputy.  The same will go for vacation watch forms however both Harris County and Precinct 4 have their own current programs for that.

Emergencies as always in the event of life or death issues, fires, or medical certainly use 911.  Otherwise law enforcement non-emergencies can be addressed by calling the Harris County Sheriff’s Department number at 713-221-6000.  Other helpful numbers can be found in the Memorial Northwest Messenger.

Road problems, cats in trees, branches blocking stop signs, and things of that nature do NOT belong to law enforcement.  What we as a neighborhood need to get better at is addressing the appropriate issue to the appropriate department.  Right now, my concern is to have our contract deputies respond to issues within the subdivision that are appropriate for them.