Days after announcing a pilot program to tackle family violence offenses and assist victims, local authorities arrested nearly 80 people with outstanding warrants related to domestic violence. This file photo shows a Harris County sheriff's vehicle in 2025. Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle

Days after announcing a pilot program to tackle family violence offenses and assist victims, local authorities arrested nearly 80 people with outstanding warrants related to domestic violence.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday evening that it had partnered with state and federal law enforcement agencies on a warrant roundup that resulted in 117 arrests, 79 of them related to domestic violence. The roundup, which the sheriff's office dubbed  Break the Cycle,  took place across Harris County from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9, according to a sheriff's office spokesperson.

Among those arrested were individuals accused of strangling their partners and assaulting their children, the sheriff's office said. Victims in the cases targeted during the operation were connected with victim advocates from the sheriff's office, according to a news release.


Federal funding cuts since 2025 have reduced staffing at domestic violence nonprofits across Harris County. In recent weeks, county officials have announced major investments in programs to help survivors obtain protective orders and access resources, as well as to clear warrants related to violent offenses.

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The funding announcements came as the Texas Council on Family Violence's recent annual report showed the number of domestic violence-related homicides in Harris County dropped from 47 to 20 between 2024 and 2025.

The decrease was the largest of any Texas county, but experts recently told the Houston Chronicle the county still needs initiatives such as those recently announced. The statewide number of domestic violence-related homicides fell by only one during th
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