HCSO Newsletter #95 – Growth through Education and Community Partnership
Message from Sheriff Ed Gonzalez:

Earlier this week, we received a generous book donation from the Mayor’s Office for Adult Literacy for persons in our custody and care at the Harris County Jail. This donation, made possible by the City of Houston and the Molina Foundation, will help diversify our leisure reading material and will grow our book inventory with over 750 new books. 

Education plays an important role in reducing recidivism in our society, but more importantly, improves us as people and brings light into our world. Reading can be a source of hope and inspiration. It can give us a framework to understand our past and look toward our future. Books spark conversations, teach us empathy, and broaden our horizons. 

One of the many ways we aim to reduce recidivism is by giving people a chance to use their time constructively and by investing in them. Our Detention Support Services Bureau provides educational resources and opportunities designed to give them the tools, skills, and support to be successful when returning to their communities. We provide case management services, discharge planning, a leisure reading program, and a connection to outside resources, information, and services. We want them to be able to get out and get back on their feet. 

In past semesters, before the pandemic, student volunteers from my alma mater, University of Houston-Downtown, helped screen, sort, and distribute donated books. As part of their hands-on, community service journey, the students learned about the inner workings of the Harris County Jail and the importance of rehabilitation services and reentry programs. 

We were also partnering with the Harris County Public Defender’s Office to host regular book clubs where incarcerated persons engaged in the reading and the discussions. 

We are grateful to our community partners who see the transformative power of literacy and are committed to changing lives by empowering people to reach their full potential through reading and learning. We look forward to the day we can welcome back volunteers and students and get back to book club discussions. 

God bless you, and may God bless the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Ride Along With Our Greenspoint Tactical Unit on an Operation
Post Office To Be Renamed in Deputy Dhaliwal's Honor
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Act to rename the post office at 315 Addicks Howell Rd. in our fallen brother’s memory. 

Though it is an impossible task to properly memorialize a man of his integrity and service, the resolution’s passage will serve as a permanent reminder of Deputy Dhaliwal’s lasting contributions to Harris County and affirm his deep, meaningful connections with our community.

We are thankful to the entire Texas delegation for this effort to honor a committed public servant who touched countless lives and served as a trailblazer for the Sikh community.
HCSO in the News
"Sgt. Ana Ortiz with the Harris County Sheriff's Office leads the newly shaped Traffic Crimes Unit.

Ortiz oversees six deputies centered on every part from seizing automobiles and submitting legal fees to exhibiting up at racing occasions to interrupt them up earlier than lethal crashes occur."
“'We have seen more and more situations of minor traffic incidents that are escalating into assaults and shootings,' Sheriff Gonzalez said.

Because of the increase, HPD will be starting a collective effort with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Harris County District Attorney aimed at bringing road-rage incidents down."
"Dhaliwal, a 42-year-old father of young children, was a beloved member of the force and the community he served, as well as a minor celebrity in America’s half-million strong Sikh community for having become the state’s first Sikh peace officer.

'As a Sikh American, I felt the need to represent the Sikh community in law enforcement,' Dhaliwal told NBC News in 2015. 'Serving in the police force is natural to us, as Sikhs value service.'"
HCSO Social Media
Sheriff Gonzalez Joined Public Safety Leaders at a Multi-Agency News Conference To Address Violent Road Rage Incidents
Our New Traffic Crimes Unit Is Cracking Down on Street Racing, Street Takeovers, and Stunts
Our Nuisance Abatement Unit Enhances Neighborhoods by Removing Abandoned Vehicles in Harris County
Miss Last Week's Newsletter?
HCSO Newsletter #94 - Showing up for Our Neighbors and...

Earlier this week, on Giving Tuesday, our communities came together to make an impact in their neighborhoods and the lives of their neighbors. This global generosity movement reminds us of our collective power - and responsibility - to transform...

Read more
myemail.constantcontact.com