CRIME IN BRENHAM DOWN 21 PERCENT IN 2020 FROM 2019

  

Overall crime in Brenham was down 21 percent in 2020 from the year prior, according to Brenham Police Chief Ron Parker.

Parker on Thursday presented the Brenham City Council with the police department’s 2020 annual and racial profiling reports.  According to the annual report, there were 1,014 reported criminal offenses in 2020, compared to 1,302 in 2019.

Parker said both violent and nonviolent crime was down largely across the board.

 

Traffic stops in 2020 were down 36 percent, totaling 6,660 compared to 10,406 in 2019, but Parker said COVID-19 played a role in that drop in numbers.  He said there were zero formal complaints brought against officers in 2020.

Parker also discussed the department’s decision to temporarily eliminate its K-9 program, following the retirement of K-9 Robbie in September.  He said the cost of the program was outweighing the benefits.

 

Parker also went over the department’s efforts to improve officer training and effectiveness.  On Wednesday, three officers enrolled in a mental health officer certification program, with the goal of having all officers, including Parker, become licensed mental health officers.  He believes this will help the department better approach challenging situations and learn de-escalation tools.

 

The department is also going through crisis intervention training, and has created a disciplinary matrix so officers know in advance what will happen to them if they violate department policy or law.  The matrix is being reviewed by Human resources and will be shared with the department’s Citizen Advisory Board.

Parker said department policy mandates that staff intervene in a situation where policy is being violated and report it to a supervisor.  All use of force is reported to the FBI.  He said the department will soon put its policy manual online for public viewing.

Brenham Mayor Milton Tate said he thinks all of the citizens are behind Parker and the department, while the officers are following his leadership.

Click here to view the police department's 2020 annual report.

Click here to view the police department's 2020 racial profiling report.