Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez's goals for 2018

Beginning his law enforcement career as a Houston Police Department officer, Ed Gonzalez later served as a member of Houston City Council before his winning the election as Harris County Sheriff. His major goal in 2017 was to tackle the problem of human trafficking in Harris County.

Sheriff Gonzalez is continuing his efforts to combat the problem in 2018, but especially focusing on the violent offenders who are forcing young vulnerable people into prostitution. He admits that because human traffickers are aggressive in their approach and using technology to lure victims, his office must also be aggressive in its efforts.

The sheriff encourages educating both children and their parents about how human traffickers can entrap vulnerable young people.

Sheriff Gonzalez's other major goal is to promote public safety by reducing the volume of violent crime, such as burglaries, robberies and gang activity. He also says that poverty, addiction and mental illness need to be addressed on a community level.