All posts by Debby Thompson

Upcoming TCSO Citizens Academy Register Now!

TCSO Community Outreach Unit is excited to host the 37th Citizens Academy this Spring. The academy provides citizens valuable insights on the criminal justice process and the how’s and why’s of TCSO operations and services. We believe the education and dialogue the academy offers will further our efforts in improving community relations and the quality of life for Travis County residents.

The Citizens Academy is a 13-week program from March 21 – June 13, 2024. Citizens will meet every Thursday from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at the TCSO Central Command located at 5555 Airport Blvd., Austin, TX 78751.

Citizens receive classroom instruction by corrections officers, law enforcement deputies, civilians, and supervisors who work in each division within the department. The weekly sessions are not intended to train participants to be officers, but to help develop a citizenry with TCSO. For more information on the course and how to enroll, please visit:  https://www.tcsheriff.org/about/community/citizens-academy

The Importance of Picking Up Pet Waste

While most pet owners know it is responsible to clean up after their dogs in public spaces, it is important to know the significance of this simple act, especially when visiting a contained space like Willow Bend Dog Park. Pet waste left unattended can lead to a host of problems, affecting not only human health but also our beloved environment in Wells Branch. When picking up your dog’s waste, think about the reasons why you are doing it. Continue reading The Importance of Picking Up Pet Waste →

WBNA Town Hall: TCSO Safety Meeting

Thursday, November 16 | 7-8 pm
WB Community Center | 2106 Klattenhoff

Travis County Sheriff’s Office reached out to the WBNA and offered to host a neighborhood forum to discuss our local area safety concerns. The team of officers from TCSO wants to meet with the Wells Branch community to better understand current issues, address your questions and have a dialogue with the residents.

The WBNA put together a short survey to help canvas data and questions from the entire community. The initial survey results highlighted a few insightful data points.

  • Top 2 areas of concern are increased vandalism and home security
  • 60% of residents are unclear on  how to correctly report a crime, and only 2% have used the online tools for emergent issues
  • 87% of homes have not had any type of safety inspection
  • 30% of homes have no security tools in place, and 35% only have the bare minimum of motion lighting in place
  • 87% reported that there is no active neighborhood watch program in place
  • 88% of the residents expressed support for a security monitoring system at key access points in/out of the community

These data points from the community’s response suggest that there is an opportunity to work together to improve these figures.  The key is working together to help make Wells Branch a safer place to live and raise a family. The WBNA is going to focus on rebuilding the local neighborhood watch program and develop a step by step guide to report a crime.

Make plans to attend this town hall meeting with the team from TCSO to learn more about keeping the neighborhood safe.