The River Oaks District was purchased by Tilman Fertitta in 2024 and features luxury shopping and dining. According to our partners at the Houston Chronicle, Fertitta is Precinct One Constable Allen Rosen's biggest donor, having contributed a quarter of a million dollars to his campaigns.
According to the River Oaks District's website, it has private security and off-duty Houston police officers, and is now looking to add 9 Harris County Precinct 1 deputies to the mix.
A contract between a constable's office and a private entity used to involve the county commissioners, but not anymore.
"Now, apparently, with the change in the law, the individual constables or sheriffs can negotiate their own contracts," Sam Houston State University criminology professor Jay Coons said.
Coons is referring to a new law signed last year that affects only Harris County. Coons said these contracts between law enforcement agencies and private entities are now solely negotiated by the two parties.
According to the contract obtained by ABC13, River Oaks District seeks to have nine deputies who would dedicate their entire shift to patrolling the shopping center from July 25th through the end of September, at a cost of nearly $227,000. The shopping district would pay all costs.
According to crime data, in the last six months, 11 crimes have been recorded at the River Oaks District, ranging from multiple car break-ins to an assault.
Coons said for policing to work, departments need a holistic approach, as opposed to hyper-focusing on one area.
"Crime moves around. If you are taking a holistic view, and that is how you are configuring your policing, well, your special team and such can move as well to keep addressing that crime to not keep pressure on an area but to keep pressure on the bad guys and gals," Coons said.
Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen calls the contract "nothing new," and said his department has many other contracts in different communities.
Executive Director of Security and Public Safety for Fertitta Entertainment, Josh Barry, said that read in part:
"The state of Texas has enacted legislation authorizing a Harris County Constable program whereby private businesses may contract with a Constable's office to provide security for the general public while visiting their venue. Based on the quality of service constables have routinely provided at NRG Stadium and other high- profile locations under the same Harris County Constable program and given the upcoming World Cup, influx of tourists and the high- profile nature of River Oaks District, we decided to elevate our security at River Oaks District by using the Harris County Constable program, not as a replacement for our current service, but rather as complementary deployment layered on top of our private security operations. In addition, unlike a lot of neighborhood communities or other participating businesses, we did not seek any discount for their services, rather our contracted cost is at 100 percent of the standard rate."
Right now, it's not clear whether commissioners will even vote on this agenda item, since their approval is no longer required under that law. However, the proposed contract will be on next week's agenda.