National Night Out - October 1st

"Won't you be my neighbor?"  Neighborhoods mean many different things to a lot of different people…ranging from a place denoted by boundary lines to a group of homes that are close to each other with people who may or may not know each other. The Woodland Heights, a neighborhood with a rich history dating back to 1907, like Houston has evolved over the years. With many neighbors working from home or choosing to live in the Woodland Heights for the schools and amenities offered by living inside the loop there are neighbors who may not have a moment to take advantage of their front porches or chat across their fences to meet their neighbors.

Today, we're inviting you to come out and meet some of your neighbors, friends, and future friends on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, for the WHCA National Night Out from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on the Norhill Esplanade.

Thanks to Joann Lammons with Sotheby's Realty, a fellow Woodland Heights resident and realtor, for generously sponsoring Dippin' Dots as a sweet treat for the kids! When asked why she contributes to the WHCA National Night Out event, Joann responded,

"I am proud to be a member of the Woodland Heights Community. It brings me back to my roots of uptown New Orleans with like architectural styles, legendary live oaks, walk-ability and wonderful neighbors. I love to support NNO as it honors our brave law enforcers and offers joint community programs for safety awareness. Not to mention a fun excuse for gathering our community!"

Parents be sure to come early to National Night Out as Dippin' Dots are available while supplies last.

In addition, the It's a Wrap food truck will be on site with its popular wraps ready for purchase. Guli Essa. The owner of It's a Wrap began her food truck career in 2011 when the retail store she was managing decided to close and gave her two days' notice. Instead of wondering what her next step would be, Guli followed her dream of owning her own business. Since then, she's been rolling out healthy food varieties that reflect what she likes to eat. The name of the truck is a nod to her LA roots and the movie business where "when you finish a movie, you say, 'it's a wrap." She's also carried the theme a little further by naming all her wraps after movies or something related to movies.

So, bring your lawn chairs, get your kids a Dippin' Dot, buy a wrap from It's a Wrap food truck, and enjoy a fun-filled night out with your neighbors while celebrating National Night Out.

What is National Night Out?
National Night Out was the brainchild of Matt A. Peskin from Philadelphia, but its success is a testament to the power of community. In 1970, Mr. Peskin was a volunteer working with the Lower Merion Community Watch program in cooperation with the Lower Merion Police Department. He patrolled his neighborhood, assisted in patrol dispatch, and ran the program's newsletter. In search of new content for the newsletter, he went to surrounding neighborhoods for assistance and noticed the need for a shared platform to connect citizens interested in safer neighborhoods. This was the seed for the next step in the development of the program that would become National Night Out.

In 1970, he established the National Association of Town Watch to provide community watch groups with information, resources, and assets to stay informed, interested, involved, and motivated within the community. Then, three years later, in 1984, the NATW organization held the first National Night Out with the simple goal of increasing participation in local crime prevention efforts by uniting entire communities for a single night. That first night, 2.5 million neighbors across 400 communities in 23 states participated. Today, communities celebrate National Night Out events on either the first Tuesday in August or the first Tuesday in October to take into account the difference in weather temperatures across the entire country. We opt for the first Tuesday in October here in Houston due to our weather temps!

What is the goal?
At the National Night Out program's core is the goal of connecting neighbors, promoting community, and raising awareness about police-community partnerships. For us, it's a chance to strengthen the bonds within our Woodland Heights neighborhood and show our support for local law enforcement by uniting our community on this one night in the hopes of uniting it for the future.

HPD Resource: Protect Against Catalytic Converter Theft

Catalytic converter thefts are up 150% from this time last year. The Houston Police Department encourages you to view a video by HPD Auto Theft Crime Task Force for tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of catalytic converter theft. Read about the new ordinance that Council passed to help deter theft here.

Nominate for 2022 Board Elections

In accordance with the WHCA bylaws, an election will be held at our Annual meeting on the second Tuesday of May. The WHCA is now accepting nominations for seats on the Woodland Heights Civic Association Board.

An election will be held at our 2022 Annual meeting on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 for the following Board of Directors positions:

• President

• Dir - Beautification

• Dir - Communications

• Dir - Deed Restrictions

• Dir - Security

Go to the 2022 Nominating Form and nominate yourself or a neighbor - woodland-heights.org/board-elections

Security Report

Nancy Hennessy, who is in charge of constable patrol divisions, had a few security tips for the summer:

• People are traveling more, so please utilize vacation watch.

• Set alarms

• Secure property (bikes, lawn equipment, etc.)

• Keep garage doors closed so passerby's won’t be tempted to come back and steal

• Be aware when you are out driving that you are not followed home

• Beware of tree trimming scams and utility companies wanting access to your backyard. They get you to show them your trees or utility lines and, in the meantime, someone is in the house stealing things. Also ask for ID if you are not sure.

• Remember, if you have a yard service, let them know to keep everything secure while working. It is very common to have equipment and supplies stolen from their vehicles.

Are you a Constable Patrol subscriber? Sign up here:
 https://www.woodland-heights.org/store

-Margaux Poizat, Director of Security
security@woodland-heights.org

WHCA SECURITY REPORT - April

Our neighborhood continues to make me smile. There is something to be said about kids biking to school. People walking in the streets and biking in the streets. We kind of have the six degrees of Kevin Bacon in our community. You meet new people and you will find they know someone you know. This keeps our community secure and close knit.

We are lucky to have the means to have a constable program. We not only have one, but two shifts. However, we are still lacking the number of subscribers required to maintain two patrols. We will always have our connections and neighbors to look out for us but do we want to lose a constable shift? Sign up and spread the word. https://www.woodland-heights.org/store

-Margaux Poizat, Director of Security
security@woodland-heights.org

On behalf of Deputy Vest:

• School is almost out.

• Make sure your cars are locked and valuables are not visible.

• Remember we have vacation watch.

• Please call the dispatch with anything, no matter how big or small.

WHCA SECURITY REPORT - MARCH

Security Report

If it wasn’t for COVID, I probably wouldn’t be in this board position. I don’t like talking in front of people I don’t know. I find it difficult sometimes to get my point across without too much emotion. :) Surprisingly, Zoom made it easier. I’m embarrassed to say I never went to an in-person general meeting before I was on the board. I had my opinions and felt strongly about them, however I did nothing. So I guess I'm making up for some lost time. I have been in this position for almost a year. My first communication in the newsletter started with "Be someone…. be someone who participates in this program…. be someone who tells their neighbors the benefits of having two constable shifts…. be someone that lets the program coordinators know what needs to improve." Thank you to those of you who have been someone who believes in the mission of this program and the benefits it brings to our neighbors and families. There's still work to do, but it's been a year full of progress and lots of familiar and new, friendly neighborhood faces. Thank you to all who have come out to see us!

Sign up now at:

https://www.woodland-heights.org/store

-Margaux Poizat, Director of Security
security@woodland-heights.org

Below is our March Security Report:

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

WHCA SECURITY REPORT - FEBRUARY

Security Report

Thank you to all our current subscribers to the constable program who came to see us and pick up their 2021 stickers! Come see us for the next sticker pick-up at Active Passion on April 24th from 10am-2pm! If you want to make a morning of it, Active Passion will be hosting their Earth Day plogging event.

If you have any questions or concerns email Margaux Poizat at security@woodland-heights.org.

Sign up now at:

https://www.woodland-heights.org/store

-Margaux Poizat, Director of Security

Below is our February Security Report:

WHCA SECURITY REPORT - JANUARY

Thank you neighbors who are current subscribers to our constable program. We've had two successful weekends of Constable Patrol sign and sticker pick-ups. We know a few of you were inconvenienced after we cancelled the first date due to the impending storm because we "didn't want to freeze" and man, if we had only known what was coming! Then we changed the location up on you guys and, I'll be honest, I didn't do the very best job getting the word out. We're trying to make sure everyone can get their stickers and I think we did a littler bit better on our second try. We're planning future pop-ups with new merchandise that we have on order and can't wait to see who we see next!

Our success with these pop-ups has really been tri-fold! We've enjoyed being able to get out and see our neighbors. Having been in pseudo-lockdown for a year has been trying and just getting to talk to folks about the neighborhood, the 100 year home program, neighbor's four-legged friends and life has reminded us of everything we have to look forward to in the coming months and year. Additionally, membership in the program is UP! Big thanks to our volunteers for setting up these events and to our neighbors for coming out and saying hello! As always, if you have any questions about the program, email our Director of Security, Margaux Poizat, at security@woodland-heights.

Below is our January Security Report:

WHCA SECURITY REPORT - DECEMBER

Thank you neighbors who are current subscribers to our constable program. In addition to their normal duties such as patrolling, responding to alarm calls and dispatch requests and performing vacation watch checks, our deputies take care of our four-legged neighbors. Luna was not arrested for criminal behavior; she was reunited with her family after a little neighborhood adventure. Thank you Deputy Vest for helping runaway neighborhood pets and strays!

Below is our December Security Report:

WHCA SECURITY REPORT

Thank you neighbors who are current subscribers to our constable program. I would like to share what the program means for our neighborhood. 

We have two deputy patrols each working 40 hours per week.  They patrol in marked cars to deter crime. Duties include:

• Answering alarm calls;

• Responding to HPD dispatch requests;

• Performing vacation watches and free home security inspections for subscribers; 

• Basic law enforcement activities (speeding tickets, traffic stops, arrests etc.)

Deputy Vest wanted to relay a few things to our community. 

1. As everyone starts throwing there awesome gift boxes out. remember to turn the boxes inside out. You don’t want to advertise what you got for Christmas. 

2. Don’t  leave valuables in your car and to not leave it unlocked. This seems like a no brainer but it happens all the time. 

3. As usual if something just doesn’t look right, call it in. 

WHCA Security Update

I love to listen to music loud while my windows are rolled down and my hair is whipping around every which way. One particular evening, REM was playing…

Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn………..It’s the end of the world as we know it…..

And I wasn’t feeling so fine. In fact, I almost ran over my neighbor when he was walking his dog……..What?

Did I get your attention? No one was hurt or even close to it, but I did talk to my neighbor. We talked about current events, life, religion and all the big things :) After our very detailed five minute conversation, he asked me something…”do you remember that Dr. Seuss quote?”

We’ve got to make noises in greater amounts!
So open your mouth lad for every voice counts!!!!!!!!

How are you going to make your voice count?
I’ll use my voice to ask, have signed up for
the constable patrol program?

August numbers:

• 2 motor vehicle burglaries

• 2 theft other

• 1 Missing person

• 1 stolen vehicle

• 1 arson

A missing person who wondered away from home was found promptly by Deputy Vest and HPD. The son was very complementary about our constable.

Neighborhood Security Report

I would like to start off by welcoming Deputy Vest back to the neighborhood. He was out for quite some time due to Covid 19. Here are a few words he wanted to share with our community; “I would like to personally thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers when I was out sick. It means a lot to me and my family.” He also wanted me to add that our community are his eyes and ears of the neighborhood. If you see anything out of the ordinary, please do not hesitate in calling.Thank you and our neighbors for everything you do.

Number to remember:
Precinct one dispatch
713-755-7628

 Those not subscribed who call may finally ask them selves, why have I waited so long to sign up?

Activity in our neighborhood for the month of July

• Burglary in motor vehicle 1

• Criminal mischief 1

• Theft other 1

• Suspicious person 4

• Traffic stop 8

• Stolen vehicle 1

• Local alarm 1

Margaux Poizat
WHCA, Director of Security

Be Someone Who Keeps The Constable Patrol Program Funded!

Imagine a world in the distant future… A world where Covid is a word of the past and hardly spoken. A world in which families go on vacation but do not spend every single moment of the day together. This day will come (of course not soon enough) but when it does ... Who will watch over and protect our neighborhood? Who will come to our rescue?  Will it be the raccoons, possums, feral cats, lost parakeets or possibly squirrels? No, it will be our Constables.

Have you signed up? If you haven’t it’s not too late. Act now and for $350 you will receive an up-to-date sticker/sign. This will give our neighborhood a daytime and nighttime constable. You can also request to have your house checked while on vacation. Remember, your subscription is auto renewable now.

I am new to this position and want to hear from you with suggestions or concerns. This program will only be successful if we are all a part of it.

- Margaux Poizat, Dir of Security

Don’t Let Our Constable Patrol Die on the Vine!

When the time comes and you need the Constable Patrol, think of this. Our Woodland Heights neighborhood has nearly 2,250 residences. The Constable Patrol is funded by just over 400 residences. To interject some ugly facts, last year Constable Patrol subscriptions fell significantly short of covering the cost of our two-shift patrol and, without better participation from the Neighborhood, will likely be the same this year. For these two years, the WHCA has made up the difference from its general funds. Without an increase in subscriptions, it is likely the Board will be forced to reduce costs by cutting the current two-shift patrol to a one-shift patrol. How is that making our neighborhood safer?

Now for the good news. There is no doubt, the more the merrier. The cost for the two-shift patrol is spread among the subscribers. If subscriptions increase sufficiently, the per household cost will go down. At the current cost of the Constable Patrol, it would take an additional 150 subscriptions to reduce the cost by $50 or about 260 additional subscriptions to reduce it by $100. That’s just 660 residences out of 2,250! In round numbers, 30 percent of the Neighborhood! I think that is an achievable goal.

Again, 2,250 residences and only 400 current participants. It’s krazy! How can that be? I have given the matter some thought and I think there are four main reasons for the weak rate of participation:

1. Financial necessity

2. Ignorance

3. Inattentiveness

4. Coattails

Let me address all four.

1. Financial Necessity
Fair enough. If you can’t afford the $350 per year, you can’t afford the $350 per year. There is no shame in that, and I can completely understand the numerous situations falling in this category. I feel safe in stating, those of us who are in the position to support the Constable Patrol are more than happy to support our neighbors who may be struggling. No worries.

2. Ignorance
That’s our bad. By “our”, I mean the Board of Directors of the Woodland Heights Civic Association. If you do not know of the good work the Constable Patrol does for our neighborhood, we are not getting the word our effectively.

3. Inattentiveness
Rephrased as, “I just keep forgetting to enroll.” We, the WHCA Board, will have to take a modicum responsibility for insufficient or ineffective reminders. However, we are all adults and responsible for our actions. Please go to https://www.woodland-heights.org/store and enroll. There are numerous options for payment, including good old-fashioned mail, by sending a check to Woodland Heights Civic Association, P.O. Box 7754, Houston, Texas, 77270-7754.

4. Coattails
I am hopeful this is not an elective position taken by members of our Neighborhood. In reflecting on the folks I know residing in the Woodland Heights, I can’t think of any who would consciously take the position of “I can get the use of the Constable Patrol without shouldering my share.” I am optimistic the rest of the neighborhood is the same.

Let’s band together to make this Constable Patrol work for us all. Please participate. Again, go to https://www.woodland-heights.org/store or send a check to Woodland Heights Civic Association, P.O. Box 7754, Houston, Texas, 77270-7754. Enrollment is $350. If you choose the online option, you can opt for auto-renewal and forget the hassle of annual renewals.

- Harry McMahon, President, WHCA

Woodland Heights Stats from Crime Reports.com (October 2019)

The following is the monthly report issued by CrimeReports.com for Woodland Heights, for the period of October 1 to 31st, 2019.

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Your CrimeReports alert for the period: Oct 01, 2019 — Oct 31, 2019. This update includes all incidents added to the map since the last update you received.

Note: Alert areas are calculated using a standard-sized monitor. Depending on the size of your browser window, you may see a different number of incidents when you click the "map incidents" link.

Location: Woodland Heights

Oct 01, 2019 — Oct 31, 2019

13 Incidents

12

3
3
5
1

1

1

Property Crimes

Breaking & Entering
Property Crime
Theft from Vehicle
Theft of Vehicle

Violent Crimes

Assault

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Are you a member of the WHCA Constable Patrol Program? The presence of the Harris County Precinct One Constables on patrol in the neighborhood reduces response times dramatically when an incident is reported.

Woodland Heights Stats from Crime Reports.com (September 2019)

The following is the monthly report issued by CrimeReports.com for Woodland Heights, for the period of September 1 to 31st, 2019.

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Your CrimeReports alert for the period: Sep 01, 2019 — Sep 30, 2019. This update includes all incidents added to the map since the last update you received.

Note: Alert areas are calculated using a standard-sized monitor. Depending on the size of your browser window, you may see a different number of incidents when you click the "map incidents" link.

Location: Woodland Heights

Sep 01, 2019 — Sep 30, 2019

23 Incidents

18

5
1
10
2

5

3
2

Property Crimes

Breaking & Entering
Property Crime
Theft from Vehicle
Theft of Vehicle

Violent Crimes

Assault
Assault with a Deadly Weapon

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Are you a member of the WHCA Constable Patrol Program? The presence of the Harris County Precinct One Constables on patrol in the neighborhood reduces response times dramatically when an incident is reported.

Woodland Heights Stats from Crime Reports.com (August 2019)

The following is the monthly report issued by CrimeReports.com for Woodland Heights, for the period of August 1 to 31st, 2019.

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Your CrimeReports alert for the period: Aug 01, 2019 — Aug 31, 2019. This update includes all incidents added to the map since the last update you received.

Note: Alert areas are calculated using a standard-sized monitor. Depending on the size of your browser window, you may see a different number of incidents when you click the "map incidents" link.

Location: Woodland Heights

View fullsize

Aug 01, 2019 — Aug 31, 2019

33 Incidents

29

1
5
2
20
1

2

1
1

2

2

Property Crimes

Breaking & Entering
Property Crime
Theft
Theft from Vehicle
Theft of Vehicle

Quality of Life Crimes

Drugs
Liquor

Violent Crimes

Assault

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Are you a member of the WHCA Constable Patrol Program? The presence of the Harris County Precinct One Constables on patrol in the neighborhood reduces response times dramatically when an incident is reported.

Tracking Crime in Woodland Heights

If you look on NextDoor you might sometimes get the impression that crime is rampant in Woodland Heights. However, things you find there don’t paint a complete picture of what actually occurs in the neighborhood. Happily, there is a way that you can find out what’s going on using CrimeReports.com.

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CrimeReports.com view of Woodland Heights incidents May 27 - June 26, 2019.

The data on CrimeReports is sent on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis from more than 1000 participating agencies to the CrimeReports map. Each agency controls their data flow to CrimeReports, including how often they send data, and which incidents are included. With regard to WH, you’ll find information from HPD and the Harris County Sherriff’s Department.

According to HPD:

CrimeReports is the nation's largest collection of law enforcement agencies committed to transparency, public access, and citizen engagement. The Houston Police Department has partnered with CrimeReports to provide public access to data from original crime reports entered into the Houston Police Department’s Record Management System within the last 180 days. The crime data is updated every 30 minutes and represents basic/general information for incidents within the City of Houston.

With everything shown on a map, you can drill down to a specific date and location to see what was reported. Incidents are marked for the type of activity, including; assault, break & enter, theft, theft from vehicle (by far the most common in WH), property or drug-related crime.

At the time this summary was generated there were just 7 incidents reported for the preceding month, including; (6) theft from a vehicle and (1) case of vandalism. You can drill down further, to get a better understand of patterns. For example, what days of the week or times of day does most crime occur?

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The site also has some novel features. For example, you can register that fact that you have one or more surveillance cameras. That allows law enforcement to know who might be able to help provide evidence of events nearby.

You can also create an alert, so you’ll be notified when something is reported in a specific target area.

It’s easy to get all wrapped up in anecdotal reports that paint a bleak and depressing picture. I’ve found the hard data presented at CrimeReports.com to be a welcome insight into the reality of the situation.

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While on the subject of crime…have you signed up for the WHCA Constable Patrol Program? The program ensures that Harris County Constables are on patrol in WH for 80 hours/each week. The availability of the constables dramatically reduces response times when you need their assistance.

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Announcing the 2019 WHCA Constable Patrol Program

Since 2011, Woodland Heights Civic Association has administered a Constable Patrol Program, serviced by Harris County Precinct One. Our Constable Patrol Program is a supplemental police force that provides additional safety and security to our neighborhood through the work of two deputies hired to patrol the neighborhood for two 40-hour shifts per week.

Program Benefits:

• Vacation watch and lock checks

• Home security checks

• Ability to link home security alert system to Precinct 1 dispatch vs. Harris county main dispatch

• Constable Patrol sign in yard

• Increased police presence in neighborhood

New Discounts & Incentives
In 2018, just 415 of the approximately 2000 homes in the Woodland Heights neighborhood funded the entire program. In an effort to grow the program’s participation rate and continue to provide the additional neighborhood security, we’ve arrived at a new fee structure for 2019. The rates are reduced, and include incentives for both early renewal and referring new program subscribers.

2019 Program Rates:
Early-Bird Rate: $300* (Renew before April 1)
Regular Rate: $350 (After March 31st)
Referral credit: $ 25**

*$300 paid by check, $310 if paid online using a credit card.
**Credit for each new subscriber (non-2018 participant) is $25 towards your renewal in 2020.

Now is the time to take advantage of the Early-Bird rate and help keep our neighborhood safe!
Visit https://www.woodland-heights.org/store/constable-patrol to join us in protecting the Woodland Heights.

Questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact: Cody McGregor at security@woodland-heights.org

Have you renewed your membership for the 2018 Constable Patrol Program?

Effective July 9th, 2018 those that have not renewed their membership will be asked to relinquish their sign in order to ensure we are able to provide paying members a sign with a current sticker.

Summertime is upon us and active members of the program can rest assured while away on  vacation that our local Constable is checking on your home. This is just one of many benefits of the Constable Patrol Program.

This is your last chance to renew before your outdated sign is collected! If you’re not yet a member and would like to join, there is still time!

Subscribe today!
https://www.woodland-heights.org/constable/

Questions?
Contact Cody McGregor, WHCA VP-Security
security@woodland-heights.org