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The Rural Crime Watch Program is a proactive
project of the Texas Crime Prevention Association
(TCPA). The program will involve sheriff's departments
working with local electric cooperatives. The
electric cooperative's employees will report
suspicious activity, persons, vehicles and criminal
activity via their radio communication to their
dispatcher, who will contact the sheriff's department
through 911 operators.
Mission Statement
Rural Crime Watch, supported by efforts of the Texas Crime Prevention Association
and its members, the Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC) and local electric
cooperatives working together statewide will increase the number of "eyes
and ears" reporting criminal activity to law enforcement in rural Texas,
thus reducing crime in rural areas.
Rural Crime Watch Background
The Rural Crime Watch program began as a project of the TCPA's rural crime
prevention committee. The committee was formed in the fall of 1996 and committee
members approached TEC with the idea of involving local electric cooperative
employees in the project to better serve their customers and all the people
of Texas.
The only investment required by the co-op is
participation in a training session with law
enforcement officials to learn how to detect
and report suspicious activity. Law officers,
in turn, will also be trained by co-op personnel
in detecting criminal activities experienced
by utilities including wire theft, meter tampering
and the like.
Currently, 37 Texas electric cooperatives are
Rural Crime Watch members.
For more information about the Rural Crime Watch
program, contact Tami Knipstein.
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