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Residents press Rosenberg council over block party that drew gunfire and limited police response
Summary
Residents from Callaway Cove and the Reserve at Brazos Town Center told the Rosenberg City Council that repeated calls to Rosenberg Police Department after a Jan. 3 block party that they say involved gunfire and hundreds of attendees were met with transient patrol responses; several speakers urged sustained police presence and clearer follow-up.
Residents described a night of escalating neighborhood disorder and urged Rosenberg leaders to change how the city deploys police.
"Why was this party not broken up?" Christina Rios asked the council, saying she and neighbors repeatedly called Rosenberg Police Department after what she estimated as more than 75 juveniles and young adults spilled into the street and gunshots rang out. Rios, who gave her address to the council, said officers arrived, shone lights and left within minutes while the gathering resumed.
Mark Freeman, president of the Reserve at Brazos Town Center homeowners association, told the council that doorbell-camera video, repeated calls and what he said were 14 gunshots that night produced a pattern of responses the neighborhood finds inadequate. Freeman said residents had been told previously that the department would increase monitoring and patrols; he said the promised increase has not been visible.
Several other residents spoke of near-nightly problems at one rental property: Sandra Ahmad said intruders appeared on camera at her backyard window, that an officer initially reported finding "nobody" despite video evidence, and that later follow-up found shell casings and additional disturbance. Sherry Horn, vice president of the HOA, and Ruth Chotzko described thefts, disabled cameras and suspected drug activity at rental homes and said a lack of regular police presence had the neighborhood fearful for children and families.
Mayor (presiding) and staff told the speakers the chief would speak with residents after the meeting and provided options for follow-up, including providing contact numbers and a post-meeting staff visit. The council repeatedly cautioned that, under the Texas Open Meetings Act, they could not take formal action during general public comment for items not on the agenda, but staff offered to take reports and follow up.
The council did not take a formal vote on policy changes at the meeting. Residents asked for specific operational changes — including proactive patrols and a persistent unit presence during large gatherings — and for the city to contact property owners of problem rentals. City staff and the police chief were recorded as agreeing to meet with affected residents outside the meeting to discuss next steps.
