Hundreds of Midtown residents packed Bagby Park this week for the neighborhood's 22nd annual National Night Out, trading the usual evening quiet for food trucks, live music, raffle drawings and a hula hooping contest for kids. The celebration also doubled as a send-off: Midtown Public Safety Director Jaime Giraldo used the event to announce he's retiring at the end of 2026, with the gathering also marking his final National Night Out leading the district's safety operations.
As reported by Click2Houston, the gathering at Bagby Park drew a mix of elected officials and law enforcement agencies, including the Houston Police Department, Harris County Constable Precinct 7, SWAT, and Metro Police. Texas isn't alone in pushing its National Night Out into October — the shift away from the traditional first-Tuesday-in-August date is a regional adjustment, with Texas and other Southwestern areas observing the event in fall specifically to dodge peak summer heat, according to the National Association of Town Watch.
Madison Walkes, Midtown Houston's director of people and engagement, told the outlet that what makes the district's version of the event stand out is how it pulls together local businesses, community partners and law enforcement under one roof. That collaborative framing extended to the speaking program, where State Representative Jolanda Jones, Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz, and Precinct 7 Constable Smokie Phillips all addressed the crowd, per the same account.
A Safety Chief's Quiet Exit After Years on the Front Lines
Giraldo's retirement announcement landed with extra weight given his background. Before taking the Midtown public safety post, he co-founded the Houston Police Department's Homeless Outreach Team in 2011, following stints in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Harris County Constable's Office, according to Midtown Houston. Midtown also has homeless outreach and mental health teams.
Sharita Bohanna, Midtown Houston's manager of public safety and quality of life, said people work together to serve Midtown, Click2Houston reported. The district maintains both a homeless outreach team and a mental health team, according to Midtown Houston.
Tax Dollars Fund Patrols, Cameras and Bike Units
The event's show of multi-agency force isn't just ceremonial. This year, the Midtown Management District put more than $2.2 million toward public safety and cleanliness, funding round-the-clock private security patrols, HPD bike patrols and 25 automated license plate reader cameras, according to the Midtown Management District. District officials have credited that funding boost with a 23% drop in localized crime.
Bagby Park, the 30,000-square-foot greenspace at Gray and Bagby Streets that hosted this year's celebration, opened in 2003 and was renovated in 2021.
Crime Near the Park Keeps Safety Front of Mind
The investment in patrols and cameras comes against a backdrop of recent violence just steps from where families gathered this week. In September, a gunman fleeing a fight near West Gray and Bagby Streets sprayed bullets and wounded three bystanders, an incident that triggered an active HPD investigation. Separately, detectives sought tips in an unsolved robbery on Bagby Street.
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz also made remarks at the event. State Representative Jones and Precinct 7 Constable Smokie Phillips also made remarks.
With Giraldo's departure now set for the end of the year, Midtown's public safety apparatus includes patrols, cameras and outreach teams. For one more night at Bagby Park, though, the hula hoops and raffle tickets took center stage alongside the officials tasked with keeping the neighborhood safe.
