What if some emergencies could be addressed before they became arrests, hospital visits or acts of violence?

That question sits at the center of Advancing Safer Communities in Harris County, Texas, a new report released by the Office of Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis. Developed in partnership with Georgetown Law’s Center for Innovations in Community Safety, the report reviews four years of results from several Harris County community safety programs and recommends additional funding to help make them permanent.

Although Precinct One initiated and released the report, the programs it examines are administered at the county level and have implications beyond a single precinct. For residents of North Forest, the findings offer a closer look at how Harris County is pairing traditional law enforcement with behavioral health response, violence prevention and support for domestic violence survivors.

The report focuses on three areas: the Holistic Assistance Response Team, known as HART; Relentless Interrupters Serving Everyone, or RISE; and Harris County’s domestic violence prevention and intervention efforts.

HART sends specialized teams to certain nonviolent calls

Launched in March 2022, HART gives Harris County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers another option when responding to certain nonviolent situations involving behavioral health concerns, homelessness, substance use or social-welfare needs.

Each unarmed HART field team includes a crisis intervention specialist and a licensed emergency medical technician. Dispatchers screen calls to determine whether HART is an appropriate response or whether the situation requires a deputy, ambulance or other emergency service.

The program is intended to complement—not replace—law enforcement. By assigning eligible calls to professionals trained in behavioral health and on-scene medical assistance, HART can connect residents with appropriate services while allowing deputies to remain available for violent crimes and other situations requiring a law-enforcement response.

According to the Precinct One report, HART has responded to more than 31,000 calls and connected more than 5,000 people with care. Harris County Public Health reports that the program operates in every Harris County Sheriff’s Office district, with on-scene responses available in unincorporated Harris County. HART’s case-management services are available countywide.

Residents can access HART through 911, the HCSO non-emergency line at 713-221-6000 or the dedicated HART line at 713-274-HART. Dispatchers and program supervisors determine whether a situation qualifies for a field response.

RISE works to interrupt violence before it escalates

The report also evaluates RISE, a Harris County Public Health initiative that approaches gun violence as both a public safety and public health concern.

Launched as a pilot in Cypress Station and Sunnyside, RISE employs trained “credible messengers”—people with community ties and life experiences that can help them build trust with those at greatest risk of committing or experiencing violence.

These outreach specialists work to identify developing conflicts, mediate disputes, discourage retaliation and connect participants with services that address underlying needs. The program also includes hospital-based intervention and ongoing community engagement.

The Precinct One report states that Cypress Station experienced a 36% decline in overall crime during the first two years of the initiative, when RISE, HART and other public safety measures were operating in the area. It also reports a 48% decrease in family violence and a 34% decrease in aggravated robberies during that period.

Those findings do not establish that RISE or HART alone caused every reported decline, nor do they guarantee that another community would experience identical results. They are, however, part of the evidence Ellis is asking Commissioners Court to consider during the budget process.

“This is no longer an experiment. The data is in,” Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said of the programs’ contribution to the decrease in crime in Cypress Station.

Domestic violence programs support survivors and families

Domestic violence prevention and intervention form the third part of the report’s recommendations.

According to the report, Harris County-supported programs have helped more than 5,000 survivors and children leave unsafe situations. The initiatives have also delivered more than 20,000 hours of therapeutic care to approximately 1,000 families.

For someone experiencing abuse in or near North Forest, reaching safety can involve much more than leaving a home. Survivors may need emergency shelter, transportation, counseling, legal assistance, childcare and help covering immediate necessities. The county’s programs are intended to address those overlapping needs while reducing the likelihood that survivors and their children return to unsafe conditions.

Anyone facing immediate danger should call 911. Information about local assistance, protective orders and family violence resources is available through the Harris County Domestic Relations Office.

Commissioner Ellis proposes an additional $4.5 million

The Precinct One report recommends investing an additional $4.5 million in HART, RISE and domestic violence prevention and intervention. That would bring the proposed combined investment in the three areas to $15.3 million.

The recommendation is not a finalized appropriation. It is a proposal from Ellis and his Precinct One office for consideration as Harris County develops its fiscal year 2027 budget.

The report argues that the investment could prevent harm while also reducing costs elsewhere in county government. It estimates that Harris County could avoid more than $5 million in detention and legal expenses if an expanded HART program prevents 500 additional low-level jail bookings and RISE prevents seven gun-related homicides.

Those estimates are projections based on specified outcomes, not guaranteed savings. Commissioners Court will ultimately determine whether the recommended funding is included in the adopted budget.

“Keeping people safe means more than just responding after harm occurs,” Ellis said in announcing the report. “Community safety programs rooted in prevention and care help break the cycles of crisis, violence, and trauma.”

Why the proposal matters to local residents

The report’s broader argument is that community safety does not depend on one agency or one type of response. Deputies remain essential when a situation involves violence, criminal activity or an immediate threat. Other calls may be more effectively handled by behavioral health professionals, medical personnel, violence interrupters or survivor-support organizations.

For residents of North Forest, the goal is practical: match each situation with the right response, intervene before problems become more dangerous and ensure traditional first responders can concentrate on emergencies that require their training and authority.

Residents can read the full Advancing Safer Communities in Harris County, Texas report and review Harris County’s fiscal year 2027 proposed budget documents. Commissioners Court meetings are open to the public, with options available to request to speak or submit written comments.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

Local business spotlight

Grow your business
where trust already lives.

Let’s introduce your business to the neighbors nearby.

Spotlight My Business →

Have a local favorite? Recommend a business