Commander Jennifer Read

Houston is a city known for its diverse population. Serving one of Houston’s most diverse areas is the Houston Police Department’s Midwest Division, led by Commander Jennifer Read. 

Midwest Division is an 18-square-mile area that includes a swath of the Southwest Management District and reaches north to I-10. This area is home to more than 20 consulate offices, numerous apartment complexes, the Galleria and the Harwin Corridor. Read proudly describes her district as one of the most diverse in the nation — diverse not only in culture but in socio-economics as well. 

Now in the supervisory position for a year and a half, Read discussed her goals and ways residents and businesses can help in making neighborhoods safer.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

A: I have been with the Houston Police Department for more than 15 years and this is (my) first patrol division as a commander. I have had a unique background and have been a part of different divisions within the department, including Risk Management, Planning and Data Governance, Vehicular Crimes Division, Southwest Patrol, and Identification Division involving forensics early in my career. I have been in various areas that have led me to get to my level of expertise prior to taking my current position. 

I am a native Houstonian raised in the Westside area. 

Q. How many officers are in your division?

A: We have a little more than 160 officers, primarily patrol officers, but we also have our Differential Response Team officers, who are more community relations oriented. They take the lead and help out with some of our special functions. In addition, they are an important part of working with the community along with, of course, our patrol officers. 

Q: As a law enforcement professional, what do you believe is the biggest obstacle that faces law enforcement not just locally but also nationally?

A: I think that staffing overall is a challenge to the Houston Police Department. I believe our staffing levels are lower than we had 20 years ago. Our leaders are very much aware of it, including our mayor and our chief, who are actively recruiting. They are helping to provide funding for additional officers. This is extremely vital for our district, which has one of the highest numbers of calls for service in the entire city. 

Q: What can citizens and businesses do to support you and your officers?

A: There are various ways that you can help officers. You know the police department works all the time, we never shut down, so anything that is an active, positive statement in support of our officers can go a long way. We encourage the community to report all crimes, violent and non-violent. We want all persons to know that they can report crimes, especially in our area with a high immigrant population (that may hesitate to report crimes).

(For emergencies dial 911. Non-emergencies, 713-884-3131).

Q: Your division seems to work well with partnerships in the community, can you tell us about some of those?

A: One of our biggest and best partnerships is with the Southwest Management District. As we said, we have a diverse community which speaks numerous languages. The SWMD helps get some of our crime prevention tools translated in different languages so we can better communicate. We have some great resources on our website available in various languages.

Last year, City Council Member Edward Pollard created the District J Patrol Community Committee. This committee is comprised of individuals from within the district who serve as liaisons between the community and the police department. The committee focuses on quality-of-life concerns and neighborhood (code) violations and works directly with HPD’s Differential Response Team. There is a website to connect with the committee. 

Q: Chief Troy Finner has talked about citizens getting involved in HPD’s Positive Interaction Program. Do you have a schedule for your PIP’s? 

A: Typically, we have one meeting monthly. However, with the holidays coming that schedule will be a little different. They are on either the second or third Wednesday of the month. We do host those here at the station (7277 Regency Square Blvd., Houston, TX 77036). Additionally, there is a citywide PIP meeting that takes place downtown and it is streamed on social media. 

The Midwest meeting begins with our officers talking about general crime information for our area, followed by updates, and then we usually have a guest speaker. We get suggestions for topics from the community and invite guest speakers who can address the topics. Recent topics have covered the rise in theft of (motor vehicles’) catalytic converters and a discussion to address concerns with some of the clubs and bars in the area. We end the meeting announcing any upcoming events, information and dates.

Q: Do you have officers who would be available to speak at local community meetings and events?

A: That would be our Differential Response Team. If anyone has that kind of request, they can contact the station in advance (832-394-1200) and we try to make as many of those as we can. 

We also do crime prevention presentations at apartment complexes and senior centers to provide tips on how to prevent yourself from being a victim. This includes things like not leaving valuables in view in your vehicles, being aware of your surroundings when you are leaving a shopping center, ATM or bank. We work with apartment complex managers on ways to make their properties safer for their residents. Lastly, we encourage citizens to follow HPD on NextDoor, Twitter, and other social media platforms for information on their local HPD stations and HPD. 

In speaking with the commander, it was clear she wanted the people in the area to know her goal as a leader: “Making sure this community knows that we (the officers of the Midwest Station) are there for them.” 

— By Jessika Leal