Alamo Ranch residents are finally catching a break from the plaguing crime that has troubled their community. Following years of safety concerns reported extensively, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office has gathered the fruits of deploying its mobile command unit in the neighborhood. According to FOX San Antonio, the Sheriff's Office has detailed a clear decline in criminal activity since the unit took command.
"There's too much violence happening," Janie Ruiz, an Alamo Ranch homeowner, said. She wasn't alone in her concerns, as the community had been wrestling with an increase in vehicle crimes. To combat the issue, Sheriff Javier Salazar said the office has now seen "a deterrent effect, a chilling effect" since the mobile unit's inception on September 31, in a statement obtained by FOX San Antonio. In the same period, deputies responded to 158 calls for suspicious activity, 70 burglary calls, and numerous thefts, with 22 thefts from a motor vehicle and 18 vehicle thefts, as per reports by KSAT.
A representative from the Sheriff's Office told FOX San Antonio that increased patrols and pursuits have been instrumental in this abatement. "What I can tell you is just anecdotally speaking the first couple of nights we were out there getting in pursuits. We were catching burglars in action doing what we needed to be doing for sure and then we're starting to see those things happen with less frequency," Salazar said. This substantive police presence has been reassuring for residents like Jonathon Curl, who told FOX San Antonio, "It's nice to know the police understand this is happening and are engaged."
The sight of more deputies in the neighborhood has also been a welcome change for residents, with Art Garcia spotting "my first motorcycle mounted Bexar County Sheriff deputy today" and noting the mobile command post and patrolling cruisers, as he told KSAT. Salazar hinted at the expansion of this approach to other districts, intending to slice the geographical areas into smaller, more manageable sections, placing more deputies for vigilant oversight. In line with these efforts, the Sheriff's Department received an influx of 50 deputies in their latest budget cycle, aiming to amplify their footprint in the community. Additionally, BCSO is planning a new substation in Alamo Ranch, with the timeline for completion still to be determined, as informed by KSAT.
