This weekend Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert went to one of the highest crime areas of the county to talk about services available for the residents. A crowd of about 200 was receptive.
The Daily Bread Ministries on Rittiman Road was packed with concerned citizens on Saturday. Calvert says he wanted the bureaucracy of the county to look into the eyes of the people, connect with community organizations, and share intelligence.
“I kind of want to get deeper at getting organizations that are in these neighborhoods where people really know some of these trouble-makers and try to support them through the funding of the county.”
Data from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office shows nearly 27 percent of violent crime in unincorporated Bexar County over the past two years occurred in the eastern part of the county near Live Oak south to I-10.
Shikara Mendez, an east Bexar County resident, says she’d like to see more police out in the community getting to know residents. “Going in talking to people, seeing what people are really thinking about their neighbors, their community, and getting to the heart of it.”
Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau says the number of deputies available is a decision made by the county Commissioners Court.
“We base our request to them based on what we believe our needs are, but also it’s the decision of the County Commissioners as to how much they fund for us,” she says.
The forum touched on issues of mental health among jail inmates and local services available.
