What would you think of a city with more than 1 million people that only had a few arrests every day for theft, an occasional resident who got disorderly, and had not had a car theft for several years? You'd probably say, "Wow, how'd they do it?"

This describes the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's safety and security record made possible by the unfailing efforts of its security staff, under the direction of Juan Jorge, a major with the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

"It's amazing the low number of incidents we have out here during the Show," said Tom Quarles, assistant general manager of logistics and service support. "That's because our number one priority at the Show is safety, and security is a major part of that."

The Show's security staff is made up of more than 450 professional peace officers, a majority of whom work for either the Houston Police Department or the Harris County Sheriff's Department. Each of the officers works any number of eight-hour shifts during the three week event, most taking their vacation time from work to do it. Each of these positions is paid.

"With this number of officers, the Show's security staff is equivalent in size to a large city police department," Jorge said. "And with the exception of an investigative section, we function almost entirely like a major city police department."

These 450 officers ensure security within 46 different areas--everything from the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, Corral Clubs and special events to the rodeo chutes, shuttle bus parking lots and off-site rodeo stock pens and barn. Each of the 46 areas has a supervisor who works with the officers in an assigned area.

Approximately three months before the Show's start, Jorge works with Quarles to determine what positions will be required. That decision is based on reviews done at the end of the previous year's Show. Once the positions have been set, the security staff starts lining up personnel to work the hundreds of shifts that need to be covered. Many of these positions are manned 24 hours a day.

Harris County sheriff's Department officer Tracy Shipley and Houston Police Department officer D. A. Jones confer during the 1997 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Some of the most visible areas that must be worked are the many traffic entrances to the Astrodome parking lot, such as the livestock and commercial exhibitors' gate, the Naomi St. gate and the committeemen's parking lot. In these cases, the officers are required to ensure that only those with proper credentials enter, that vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow safely and securely and that during peak hours, constant attention is paid to prevent theft and property loss. Other officers patrol specific parking areas to ensure safety for patrons and their vehicles.

In addition to traffic and parking, the Show's security officers might work in such areas as the barbecue cook-off and Corral Clubs, where they make sure that applicable laws are enforced and provide proper crowd control, or at the carnival, where security and crowd control are equally important. They also work specific areas within the Show, such as the walkway between the Astrohall and the Astroarena, or at the main arena and the commercial exhibit areas.

"Most people don't realize it, but just the mere presence of a police officer will deter most of the crime that could take place," Jorge said. "But when it doesn't, we respond to calls just like your regular police force does."

Each officer carries radio equipment and is able to call back to a communications officer, whose job is to manage all communications between officers and supervisors. After officers respond to a call, a report is taken and input into a computer in the Show's security office and then transferred to the Houston Police Department for record-keeping. In the event of an arrest, the lawbreaker is held at the security office until the offender can be picked up for transportation to jail by the Houston Police Department.

"Most of our arrests are for disorderly conduct, but we don't get a lot of those because the crowds are better behaved here than at most similar events," Jorge said. "I believe that's because this is such a family atmosphere."

In addition to providing general security for all major areas, the security officers work to meet the special needs of certain Show committees. For example, International Committee members might have a large number of guests being brought in on buses and needing assistance with crowd control. The Breeders Greeters Committee often needs security presence for checking permits and for assisting animal health professionals with processing the animals' paperwork.

"Show officers know that when they have special needs, they just go to Tom Quarles for approval, and then come to us for help," Jorge said.

One group that works closely with security is the Roving Mechanics. Even though these folks carry their own radios, they work side by side with security's Mounted Patrol. In the event a tow truck is needed, the Roving Mechanics contact security, which in turn contacts the contracted towing service. In the absence of the Roving Mechanics, security's Mounted Patrol can assist with automobile lock-outs and similar problems.

Traffic and parking lot security may be the most visible, but the security officers also work behind the scenes in an effort to prevent ticket scalping on the grounds.

The security officers also work hand in hand with the Safety Committee, whose members respond to all medical needs and emergencies. The security officers are often at the scene of a medical emergency first and are there to maintain crowd control and traffic order for ambulances.

"It takes a lot of teamwork when an incident occurs; but, because of their preparation and experience, our security officers do an outstanding job," Quarles said. "I'm very proud of their efforts and the results speak for themselves."

Letters and comments should be sent to:
Marketing and Public Relations Division,
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
P.O. Box 20070, Houston, Texas 77225-0070