League City police deploy new anti-crime unit in business district
By Sage Scott
The Galveston County Daily News
Jul 24, 2025
LEAGUE CITY - Six police officers this week began patrolling more than 300 businesses along Interstate 45 in an effort to reduce theft and vandalism, which have been common in the area, officials said.
A federal grant will fund the program through 2028, police Lt. Gabe Gonzales said.
The unit includes a sergeant, a detective and four officers who will patrol a zone along I-45, commonly called the business corridor, to deter criminal activity and respond more quickly, Gonzales said.
“We’re just going to saturate the area and we’re going to deter people from coming here that want to steal or break into cars,” Gonzales said. “We don’t want that here.”
The unit is meant to increase police visibility to prevent crime and engage with the community, according to the department.
But unmarked vehicles will sometimes be used for patrols when officers see something suspicious and want to investigate and in sting operations if a pattern of car burglaries emerges, Gonzales said.
About 20 percent of the calls police received from 2020 to 2022 requested officers to respond to the business corridor, Gonzales said.
“There has always been a presence there, but now we are going to be saturating it with more officers,” Gonzales said.
The patrol schedules reflect crime trends, Gonzales said. Patrols will be out daily between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., when most of the stores have closed, Gonzales said.
Friday nights and weekends, when most people do their shopping, will have heavier patrols, Gonzales said. Holiday seasons, and especially Black Friday will also see heavier patrols, Gonzales said.
“They’ll be out in the peak times with the peak days, which is normally the latter half of the week,” Gonzales said.
However, the unit will adjust its schedule if crime trends change, Gonzales said.
Gonzales encouraged businesses and shoppers to call police to report any crime, no matter how small.
The unit will be continuously updated on crime trends in the area, Gonzales said.
Members of the unit were chosen because they’ve already responded to the property-related crimes at some of the stores in the area, most of which are big chain stores, and have built relationships with management, Gonzales said.
The unit will meet with every business in the corridor and pass out flyers to shoppers to explain the purpose of the unit and strategies to prevent being victims of theft, Gonzales said.
The unit also will hold educational events for the public, potentially partnering with businesses and educating the public about protecting property during hurricane evacuations and making plans beforehand, Gonzales said.
The unit hasn’t received any feedback from business owners or shoppers yet, but Gonzales encourages them to reach out to the department with any recommendations or questions they might have about it.
Gonzales expects the program will be successful and plans to reapply for the grant funding it in 2028, he said.
“We want people to feel safe when they come to League City to shop and eat,” Gonzales said.
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