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District 4 News
Crime Stopper Award Goes to Katy Resident
2/23/2007
Area community activist Annette Baldwin, a tireless advocate of law enforcement, has been selected to receive the Crime Stoppers Leiv Platou Award. Mrs. Baldwin is an enthusiastic supporter of the community and law enforcement. She has volunteered countless hours in the effort to lower crime in the West portion of unincorporated Harris County.
Mrs. Baldwin was instrumental in initiating the crime watch program in the Westlake/Westlake Forest subdivision in the early 1990s. Her efforts led to the subdivision participating in Sheriff Thomas’ Contract Deputy Program. She then turned her attention to the creation of F.R.A.N.C.O. (Fry Road Area and Neighboring Communities Organization) in 1994. F.R.A.N.C.O. held meetings with the Sheriff’s Office, surrounding subdivisions and community leaders with the goal of increasing the number of Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies in the West section of Harris County and throughout unincorporated Harris County. Mrs. Baldwin has taken her concerns to Commissioner’s Court and the State Legislature, speaking to both about the need to increase funding for the Sheriff’s Office.
Mrs. Baldwin has conducted numerous presentations to subdivision board members and business leaders concerning crime and the steps that could be taken to help support local law enforcement. She has worked to establish an active list of citizens, community leaders, business owners and subdivision board members for the Sheriff’s Office Interactive Group and attends meetings regularly. Mrs. Baldwin encouraged District IV to become more aggressive in the enforcement of nuisance abatement laws to deal with junk vehicles and abandoned houses that were being used for illegal activity. What started as a suggestion has resulted in over 120 junked vehicles being either removed or brought in compliance with State Law.
Mrs. Baldwin helped build the first web site for District IV, which was utilized until the Sheriff’s Office established a web site for all patrol districts. She assisted the Sheriff’s Office in creating a video presentation to help explain to the citizens of Harris County the different functions and divisions within the Sheriff’s Office and how each operates. When the patrol Districts established a media deputy for the districts, Mrs. Baldwin again offered her assistance and worked closely with these deputies to help them understand how articles should be written to ensure that they are published. She has helped the District IV media deputy establish contacts with the local news papers. Mrs. Baldwin is still writing letters, making telephone calls and visiting with elected officials on the county and state level to promote a safer community.
Mrs. Baldwin worked on the committee that helped establish the Katy Christian Ministries Domestic Violence Program. She attended Sheriff Thomas’ Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class and has actively promoted the R.A.D. program to civic associations, organizations, subdivisions and business clubs. She was involved in Sheriff Thomas’ KOPS program helping deputies recruit children, involving parents and even aided the deputies with field trips. She works actively with victims of crime in the West portion of Harris County through M.A.D.D., Compassionate Friends and other organizations.
After attending the Harris County Sheriffs Office Citizen’s Police Academy, Mrs. Baldwin became the president of the Harris County Sheriffs Office - West District Alumni Association, serving until 1999. She used her relationship with F.R.A.N.C.O. and the CPA Alumni Association to help raise funds for items needed by the deputies utilizing the Fry Road Store Front
Upon learning of this award Mrs. Baldwin said,” It has been very rewarding to make a contribution to these programs that have served to create a solid bridge between the citizens and the department. Many outstanding people both in the Sheriff’s Office and in the community have touched my life over the years. It has always been a special honor and privilege to work with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. I am very grateful that the Sheriff’s Office nominated me for this award and humbled that Crime Stoppers selected me as the recipient. This is, indeed, an honor.”
Mrs. Baldwin’s enthusiastic support of the community and law enforcement makes hers deserving of this recognition.
Prepared BY:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison
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