BELTON, Texas (KXXV) — In an attempt to increase police presence in high-crime areas, the Belton Police Department is looking to ramp up patrols over the remaining decade.
- Belton police plan to increase patrols in high-crime areas — including apartment complexes, retail stores, and highways — as part of their 2025-30 strategic plan, despite a 13% decrease in overall crime in 2024.
- Officials say additional patrols will not reduce coverage in other areas, but the growing police fleet could lead to higher taxes in the future
- Residents express concerns about crime and funding, with some emphasizing the need for increased law enforcement while also hoping tax dollars are properly allocated to public safety and education
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As part of its 2025-30 strategic plan, the Belton Police Department is looking to increase patrols in high-crime areas to enhance public safety.
“We feel like we can deter more crime by having more visibility,” said Deputy Chief Daniel Aguirre.
The targeted areas include apartment complexes, retail stores, and highways, where crime rates remain a concern despite a 13% decrease in overall crime in 2024.
“Our idea behind deploying code enforcement to those areas is to address quality-of-life issues, so it’s really to have more of a presence,” Aguirre said.
Residents Concerned About Crime:
Belton resident and retired Vietnam veteran Charlie Mogab, who volunteers in the police department’s victim services division, has seen firsthand the impact of crime in the community.
“A lot of people would be surprised that in a small community, there would be crime, but there’s bad people everywhere,” Mogab said.
“There’s a lot of family violence, abuse, fraud, and things like that, but that can happen anywhere,” he added.
Department Resources and Funding:
Currently, the Belton Police Department operates with 24 active patrol vehicles and 28 patrol officers. While no immediate expansion of personnel is planned, Aguirre said an increase will be necessary in the future.
“When we replace vehicles, we typically add more than the amount we’re replacing. Over time, we see an increase in our fleet,” he said.
That increase could eventually lead to higher taxes.
“I want (taxes) to go to things like funding the police department, fire department, and even education,” Mogab said.
Will Increased Patrols Affect Other Areas?
With additional officers focusing on high-crime areas, some residents have expressed concerns about whether other neighborhoods will see a reduction in patrols.
“Since you guys are going to focus more on these specific areas, is it going to deter patrol in other areas?” 25 News' Marc Monroy asked.
“Not at all,” Aguirre said. “When we say we’re going to focus more officers on a certain area of town, that simply means moving those rover units and maybe the supervisor units into that area.”
The department plans to continue assessing crime patterns and resource distribution to ensure the entire city remains protected.
