Fort Hood soldiers and police patrol together

Fort Hood: Army and Police On Patrol
After the return of thousands of troops to Fort Hood the Commander's Ride-Along Program is up and running and officials hope it will help cut down on crimes involving soldiers.
Reporter: Rachel Cox

KILLEEN (March 14, 2012) --- Local police departments are hitting the streets with members of the Army riding shotgun. It's part of The Commander's Ride-Along Program. Officials are hoping it will cut down on crime near Fort Hood involving members of the military.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights two officers go with Killeen police officers while they respond to calls across the city. When there's a soldier involved in a call that Army officer is there to make sure things don't get out of control, and could notify the soldier's commander if needed.


Army officials say when they're able to get involved they can also get the soldier the help they need to stop the problems from happening again. This can mean anything from counseling to deal with domestic issues, extra motorcycle safety classes, or starting the correct programs on post for issues dealing with alcohol or substance abuse.

The idea is to get the soldier the help he or she needs but that doesn't always mean just a slap on the wrist. When criminal charges are filed it could also mean punishment in the Army too.

Frequent issues they respond to are domestic violence related, and even public intoxication. They're even on hand if a soldier has a wreck or gets pulled over and may need help.

Police and Army officers often respond to calls close to local bars.
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