Just 29 minutes after being sworn in as Houston mayor, John Whitmire was in the passenger seat of a Houston Police Department squad car, watching officers respond to everything from homicides to noise complaints, he said.

Having campaigned on a platform of addressing crime and criminal justice, Whitmire said the ride-along was important not just to understand the issues facing the city, but to show his support for first responders. Despite some indications crime has declined in the city, the former state senator has promised to hire more police officers and explore other possibilities to bolster the department.

“This lets the public know our No. 1 priority is public safety,” he said. “And it lets first responders know I am out here with them and that I support them. It gets them rejuvenated.”