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 Dear Neighbors:
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Spring Valley Village and to make you aware of several services offered by this department.
The police department provides stickers to all residents to be placed on the driver's side rear bumper in order to identify these vehicles as those belonging to residents. This helps our officers determine which vehicles to expect at your residence on a regular basis and also assists in identifying those vehicles that may not belong. These stickers are available from the police dispatcher next to City Hall. You may pick them up at any time by providing proof of residency.
Also, your police department has a AHouse Watch program to be utilized when you leave home either overnight or for an extended period during which your home will be vacant. Simply contact the police dispatcher by phone at 713-465-8323 prior to your departure and provide the dispatcher with the necessary information including dates of departure and return and any emergency contact information. This information is kept in a confidential computer data base and is made available to all Spring Valley Village patrol officers. An officer on each shift will drive by your house looking for anything out of the ordinary. Upon your return, you simply need to notify the dispatcher of your return.
 In addition, we have officers who are certified to conduct home security surveys of your home in order to advise you on any additional security devices, such as alarms or auxiliary locks, that you may wish to consider installing to help make your home a safer place to live. These security surveys may be scheduled by calling the police dispatcher and asking for one of these officers to contact you to set up an appointment.
For those of you who already have an alarm system or are considering the installation of this device, you should be aware of Spring Valley Village's alarm ordinance. This ordinance requires that the alarm be registered with the Police Department. There is a $ 50.00 fee for new alarms and a renewal fee of $20.00 each January 1st. Registration forms may be picked up at the department. This registration provides us with information regarding keyholders and emergency contacts in case we respond to an alarm at your residence. You are allowed five (5) false alarms in one calendar year. False alarms in excess of those are billed at $50.00 per call.
I also want to make you aware of the way the 9-1-1 Emergency Network operates in Spring Valley Village. When you dial 9-1-1 within our city limits, your call rings directly into our police department. For reporting in-progress crimes or emergencies involving imminent danger to life and/or property, you will be able to give your information directly to the dispatcher who will immediately dispatch the information via radio to the responding officers. If your emergency requires the services of the Village Fire Department, your call will immediately be transferred to their operator. Calls for non-emergency and non-life threatening calls should be directed to 713-465-8323.
 Finally, I would like to encourage each of you to never hesitate calling on your Police Department for any reason. We rely strongly on your eyes and ears to report to us anything that you may see in your neighborhood that may be suspicious. If you see a person or a vehicle in the area that you consider suspicious, DO NOT attempt to confront that person. Take down an accurate description of the person or vehicle, including a license plate if possible and then telephone us immediately so that we can dispatch an officer to check the situation.
Again, I welcome you to Spring Valley Village and extend to you any service that the Police Department may be able to provide to you.
Sincerely,
Chief of Police
Gary Finkelman
Gary.Finkelman@springvalleytx.com
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