Law enforcement arrives in Houston as part of state resources provided to Beryl recovery efforts in Southeast Texas

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As Houston continues to be in the dark and struggles to recover from the wrath of Hurricane Beryl earlier this week, law enforcement agencies across the state are helping the city.

At a news conference Thursday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced that more than 100 officers from across the state of Texas were on their way.

Whitmire said the officers will help the Houston Police Department patrol neighborhoods without power by conducting traffic control and taking pressure off HPD officers who have been working 12-hour days all week.

The department posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was “very grateful for the additional resources provided by other law enforcement agencies across the state.”

The mayor said about 1,400 traffic lights were still not working four days after Beryl made landfall.

SEE MORE: Beryl destroys traffic lights at over 1,000 intersections in Houston: ‘It’s terrible’

“We have kept you safe by working overtime since the day the storm hit. They have been working around the clock, all hands on deck, under the direction of (Interim Police Chief) Larry Satterwhite,” Whitmire said. “Public safety has been my top priority.”

Whitmire said energy and electricity were also major priorities. He added that 2.3 million people, including himself, were without service.

CenterPoint Energy, Houston’s main electricity provider, has given a rough projection of restoring power to 1.1 million homes, including 400,000 customers by Friday night and 350,000 by Sunday night.

Another 400,000 customers could be offline after Sunday, a week after Beryl’s arrival.

RELATED: 400,000 CenterPoint customers could be without power a week after Beryl, company predicts

HPD Interim Chief Larry Satterwhite addressed safety concerns after a Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy was ambushed and killed overnight near Tidwell Road and Interstate 90.

“It’s a tragedy that this man gave his life out there, trying to help in those dark neighborhoods that the major talks about, trying to help the people. He lost his life trying to do that,” Satterwhite said.

He added that his officers are working day and night to help the public and will continue to do so.

Satterwhite said Houston residents could continue to be without power Monday and Tuesday, adding that HPD stands ready to assist the public.

“We have coverage throughout the day Sunday because all of our shelters and facilities are going to need coverage,” Satterwhite said. “We have crews out there working to restore power, and we’re helping them out as well. We have crews setting up generators at intersections, it’s very dark, and we’re helping them out.”

The common theme throughout the press conference was working to keep the city and essential workers safe while most Houstonians remain in the dark.

Satterwhite said the additional aid would give HPD the ability to relieve pressure on officers who are facing the same challenges as the rest of the city.