Constable Ted Heap began his law enforcement career in 1984 with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Constable’s office and, in 35 years of law enforcement, he worked his way through the ranks to becoming constable in 2017.
As the precinct’s 22nd constable, he inherited a legacy of excellence and commitment to the community that had long established Precinct 5 as one of the most respected agencies in Texas. Resting on this reputation was not what Constable Heap had planned. In the department’s first mass oath of office ceremony, he laid out his vision for the future of Precinct 5 and it started with change.
"Without change, we cannot have growth, and without growth, we can’t reach our fullest potential,”Constable Heap declared. “If we haven’t reached our potential, then our department hasn’t reached its potential. And if our department hasn’t reached its potential, then that is not fair to the residents of Harris County.”
In a sweeping agenda that gave the department a new direction, philosophy, and identity, Constable Heap began laying the groundwork that would transform Precinct 5’s place within the community.
This transformation started with strengthening the ranks. In the first two years of Constable Heap’s leadership, Precinct 5 added many new deputies to its ranks. The department established higher standards of training for supervisors and deputies alike and created a new rank structure that included corporals, allowing more opportunities for advancement.
He also reached out to the community in ways that had previously gone unrealized. With the creation of the department’s first Community Relations Unit, Precinct 5 successfully improved and expanded the services provided to neighborhoods and businesses in the area. Among the more popular new programs were the Citizen and Teen Police Academies, Citizens Response to Active Shooter Events, and the Women’s Self Defense class. For a full list of department programs click here. Constable Heap also launched the new Silver Watch program, helping senior citizens to protect their quality of life as they age.
But it’s not just his duties as constable that keep him busy. When he’s not in uniform, he and Jennifer, his wife of more than 36 years, are proud parents and grandparents who have devoted their lives to raising a family with the same strong bonds found in his Precinct 5 family.
He has been an active member of the local community, serving as a regional chairman for the Williams Syndrome Association and is an ordained deacon in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Constable Heap also speaks on behalf of Special Olympics and is known simply as “Coach” for the Katy Wolfpack, a local Special Olympics team.
