Crime has changed dramatically. A crime that once required a suspect to physically enter a building can now be committed from another country. A stolen vehicle can cross multiple jurisdictions within hours. Fraudsters can target thousands of victims simultaneously. Criminal organizations can communicate through encrypted platforms, move money digitally and use increasingly sophisticated technology to … Read more
The internet has become part of childhood. Children use smartphones to communicate with friends, watch videos, play games, complete schoolwork, join online communities and explore interests that may not be available in their immediate surroundings. That access can be incredibly valuable. But it also creates risks that parents didn’t have to consider a generation ago. … Read more
Wildfires can move with frightening speed, a quiet day can quickly become an emergency when dry vegetation, strong winds and low humidity create the right conditions for fire to spread. Texas is particularly exposed because of its enormous geographic size and varied landscape. From the Panhandle and West Texas grasslands to Central Texas ranch country, … Read more
A vehicle breakdown is inconvenient anywhere. On a Texas highway, however, it can become a genuine safety emergency. A flat tire on a quiet residential street is one thing. A disabled vehicle on the shoulder of a busy interstate, with vehicles traveling at highway speeds only a few feet away, is something entirely different. Texas … Read more
Texas is enormous, with more than 31 million residents, 254 counties and more than 1,200 incorporated cities, keeping the state safe requires far more than one police department. Instead, Texas operates one of the country’s most extensive and decentralized law-enforcement systems. A person calling 911 in Houston may interact with the Houston Police Department. Someone … Read more
A house fire can turn an ordinary household accident into a life-threatening emergency within minutes. Unlike many other emergencies, fires don’t always give occupants much time to react. Smoke can spread through a home before flames become obvious, while heat and toxic gases can make escape increasingly difficult. The good news is that many residential … Read more
Carjacking is different from ordinary vehicle theft, In a typical vehicle theft, the owner may not even be present when the vehicle is taken. A carjacking involves the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle through force or the threat of force against the driver or another person present. The FBI treats carjacking as … Read more
Hurricanes are among the most destructive natural hazards affecting Texas. Every year, millions of Texans living along the Gulf Coast and farther inland face the possibility of tropical storms or hurricanes. But the danger isn’t limited to the immediate coastline. A hurricane can push dangerous water onto coastal communities, dump enormous amounts of rain hundreds … Read more
Flooding is one of the most dangerous weather hazards Texas drivers can encounter. It can happen during hurricanes and tropical storms, but also during thunderstorms, slow-moving storm systems, flash floods and intense rainfall events far from the coast. And unlike many road hazards, floodwater can make a familiar road almost impossible to judge. A road … Read more
Crime prevention is often discussed as something that happens after a crime occurs, police respond, investigators collect evidence, and courts determine what happens next. But some of the most important prevention efforts happen before a crime is committed. A suspicious vehicle noticed by a neighbor. A resident who recognizes that an elderly neighbor is being … Read more