Following Christmas safety worries, some Fresno citizens are demanding additional law enforcement in their communities.
After seeing neighbors posting on the Nextdoor site about stray gunfire from partygoers into their homes around the holidays, Anna Morgan, a longtime resident of the Teal Run North community, filed a petition.
On December 27, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged receiving a case complaint about fatal behavior in the Fresno area of Teal Run.
“At one point in Fresno, Texas, we had constables up and down the avenues that was patrolling,” Morgan stated. “Anything that was not considered good, they would look into it.”
Based on 2020 U.S. Census data, Fresno is an unincorporated area with roughly 24,000 persons.
Municipal Utility Districts No. 23 and No. 24 contain parts of Fresno. Property taxes are collected by these utility districts, sometimes referred to as MUDs, to reimburse developers for the expenses incurred in constructing infrastructure in new communities. Additionally, they supply utilities to residences inside their borders.
Six deputies are now provided by MUD 23 and MUD 24 under a contract with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office to monitor the region. The sheriff’s office also patrols other areas of Fresno that are outside the limits of the two MUDs.
MUD 23 is being asked to hire even more cops in Morgan’s petition. About 450 people had signed the petition as of Thursday after it was shared on Nextdoor.
“My hope for the outcome is to see everyone safe, and more law enforcement on the job,” Morgan stated.
MUD 23 officials, however, state that they have no plans to add extra deputies to the area’s patrol.
“Our current contract runs October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025,” announced the utility district. “There are no plans to alter the current contract.”
Commissioner Grady Prestage of Fort Bend County Precinct 2, which encompasses the Fresno region, turned down a request for an interview to address the issue. Judge KP George of Fort Bend County said that safety issues were the responsibility of the law enforcement department and directed Houston Public Media to the sheriff’s office for any inquiries.
Residents in the Fresno neighborhood have previously expressed worries about safety and demanded a greater presence of police officers.
After people expressed concerns during town hall sessions conducted by Prestage, the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office spearheaded a crime reduction effort in September in collaboration with other agencies.
11 people were arrested and 271 traffic stops were made as a result of the crime reduction effort.
