COVER FEATURE
Keeping the Club Zone Safe
HPD officers Ann Waltman (l), Brian Ells, Adam Bushfield, Ted Adams, and Jeffrey Oliver. (Not pictured are Tony Ramos and Sgt. Kathleen Wingfield.)
38 NOVEMBER 2019 | OutSmartMagazine.com
T
hey are a familiar sight to Montrose club-goers—police on bikes with their neon-yellow shirts. Lawbreakers fear them because they are so effective, but Houston’s LGBTQ community feels great admiration and affection for them. This Houston Police Department (HPD) security operation is now in its tenth year of patrols in the Houston gayborhood. It is coordinated by out HPD senior police officer Ann
Waltman, who formed the squad in 2009. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo notes that the bike group has brought his officers closer to the community they serve. “By being accessible and visible, [they] enhance the safety and security of people in the Montrose area. It’s definitely something worth celebrating.”
Collaborating against Crime
The group has no official name, but its mem-
