Tag Archives: HPD

The city has its own bail lawsuit

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not going well. Houston city officials intentionally destroyed evidence, wiping crucial data from the computer drives of top police commanders that is potentially relevant to a lawsuit about the detention of suspects beyond the 48-hour deadline for a magistrate … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rape kit backlog lawsuit dismissed

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A federal judge has dismissed a 2017 lawsuit two rape victims filed against Houston’s current mayor and police chief and five sets of predecessors, among others, for allowing a backlog of rape kits to accumulate over decades without being … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council discusses firefighter pay parity proposal

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It will cost some money if it passes. Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña said Thursday that his firefighters deserve raises, but he would be hard-pressed to maintain his department budget without reducing his ranks if voters approve a measure granting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The revenue cap and the police

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something. Not what I want, but something. Mayor Sylvester Turner used his third State of the City speech to call — again — for the city to be able to collect more revenue than allowed by the property tax … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The latest report on city finances

Posted on February 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

A little light reading for you. Even after Mayor Sylvester Turner’s landmark pension reforms, the city of Houston is on pace to spend $1 billion more than it will take in over the coming decade, and must cut spending and … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Looking to hire more cops for Houston

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see about this. The head of the Houston police union announced Wednesday that city leaders had pledged to grow the Houston Police Department ranks by 500 officers over the next five years, far fewer than the city’s police chief … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Endorsement watch: Don’t forget the city bonds

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron circles back to where they started this endorsement season. The spotlight of public attention has focused on the billion dollar pension bond referendum, Proposition A, whose passage is absolutely critical to Houston’s financial future. But if you’re a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Endorsement watch: The bonds

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Endorsement season has officially begun. The key referendum, Proposition A, is a solution to Houston’s potentially disastrous pension problem. A complex deal ushered through the Texas Legislature by Mayor Sylvester Turner would reduce the $8.2 billion unfunded pension burden now … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lawsuit filed over untested rape kits

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This could be a big deal. A former Houston woman is suing the City of Houston and a long list of current and former mayors and police chiefs for failing to investigate a backlog of more than 6,000 untested rape … Continue reading →

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DA’s office ends trace case prosecutions

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has stopped prosecuting thousands of so-called trace drug cases, which typically stem from glass pipes seized from users containing little more than residue of crack cocaine, officials said Thursday. The recent change means … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mayor seeks one-year tax hike for Harvey cleanup

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This stuff isn’t going to pay for itself, you know. Mayor Sylvester Turner will ask City Council to approve an 8.9 percent hike in the city’s tax rate this fall to help Houston recover from Tropical Storm Harvey, in what … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Law enforcement against the bathroom bill

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Add another group to an ever-expanding list. Police chiefs from three of the five biggest cities in the state gathered at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday to spurn proponents’ claims that such legislation is needed to protect privacy, arguing that … Continue reading →

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More on the firefighters’ pay parity proposal

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s that full Chron story I mentioned yesterday: Houston firefighters delivered over 32,000 signatures to City Hall on Monday in support of asking voters in November to mandate parity in pay between firefighter and police officer ranks, a maneuver that … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Firefighters petition for a raise

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. Houston firefighters are launching a campaign to place on item on the November ballot asking voters to mandate parity in pay between corresponding firefighter and police-officer ranks. The petition drive to amend the city charter, slated to launch Saturday … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

When will the lawsuits against the “sanctuary cities” bill begin to be filed?

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Soon. The question isn’t whether or not the Texas attorney general’s office will be hauled to court over a Texas Senate bill to ban “sanctuary” policies in Texas — but, more likely, when they’ll be asked to defend Senate bill … Continue reading →

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Get ready for the “sanctuary cities” lawsuits

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s just a matter of time. Now that Senate Bill 4 is on its way to becoming law, opponents are looking to the courts for relief – and a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court case is giving them hope. The high … Continue reading →

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Tom Brady’s jersey recovered

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Our long national nightmare is finally over. On Monday morning, the NFL and Houston’s police chief reported [Tom Brady’s Super Bowl] jersey was located and will be returned to the Patriots. Investigators with the Houston Police Department’s Major Offenders Division … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences officially opens

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. The greater Houston region now has a sophisticated asset to investigate and solve crimes with the official opening of the new Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (HCIFS). Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and other dignitaries, including Harris … Continue reading →

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Ogg launches her pot prosecution reform program

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been waiting for this. The Harris County district attorney’s plan to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana drew reactions swift and strong Thursday from both sides of the debate. District Attorney Kim Ogg made the announced Thursday backed by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Nancy Drew – I mean, Dan Patrick – and the case of the missing jersey

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously? Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked the Texas Rangers and Houston Police Department to team up in finding New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s football jersey, which was stolen Sunday night after the Super Bowl, according to an emailed news … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Super Bowl security

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

There will be a lot. You may or may not get to hear about it. When an expected 1  million people descend on Houston for 10 days of Super Bowl concerts, contests and championship football, they will be protected – and … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Year Two for Mayor Turner

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Year One was busy, but a lot of what was done this year depends on what happens next year. Tasked last year with distinguishing himself from a crowded field of mayoral candidates, Sylvester Turner styled himself as a progressive with … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

HPD retirements

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This is a concern, but I don’t think it’s a big one. A dozen of the Houston Police Department’s top commanders were among 123 officers who filed paperwork this week indicating they plan to retire in the first half of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Chief Acevedo’s priorities

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

They sound good to me. When Houston police officers shot and killed an armed man standing in a street intersection this summer, officers’ body cameras taped the incident – but the recordings didn’t start until after the man had been … Continue reading →

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Acevedo and Pena confirmed by Council

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

They’re officially official now. City Council unanimously confirmed Art Acevedo and Samuel Peña as Houston’s new police and fire chiefs Wednesday, clearing the way for the mayoral appointees to take office. Acevedo, Austin’s former police chief, is poised to take … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner picks Austin PD Chief for HPD

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: In a sweeping announcement, Mayor Sylvester Turner named four new department directors and a reappointment Thursday. Pending City Council confirmation, Art Acevedo of Austin will assume the position of police chief and El Paso’s Samuel Pena will … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We now have data about police shootings of civilians

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reviews the first year’s worth of data. Texas police reported shooting 159 people in the first year that the state tracked such cases under a groundbreaking new law. Officers in Houston shot 31 of them – compared to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Unholstered”

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Some really good work by the Trib here. The Texas Tribune spent almost a year attempting to collect information on police shootings from departments in the state’s 36 largest cities, which have a population of 100,000 or more, and was … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HPD wants control of crime scene forensics for officer-involved shootings

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

No. Houston’s acting Police Chief Martha Montalvo, with the support of the powerful Houston Police Officers Union, has made a behind-closed-doors bid to take back control over the troubled Crime Scene Unit from the city’s independent forensic science lab. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pension reform update

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Things are happening. Longtime firefighters pension fund chairman Todd Clark has retired from the department and resigned his post, a move City Hall observers interpret as perhaps the clearest sign yet that Mayor Sylvester Turner’s push for pension reform may … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Where are the chiefs?

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

People are beginning to wonder. Six months after Houston’s top cop retired and 10 months after Houston’s fire chief resigned to take another job, both departments remain without permanent chiefs, prompting concerns that public safety could suffer during the transition … Continue reading →

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Looking again for a new justice complex

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Got to do something about this sooner or later. Mayor Sylvester Turner has formed a committee to study how to acquire a new police headquarters and courts complex for Houston. Former mayor Annise Parker spent more than two years studying … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Roadside drug tests

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. A Houston police officer pulled Barry Demings over as he headed to work in Beaumont and plucked a spot of white powder off the floorboard of Demings’ year-old Ford Explorer. Demings had just … Continue reading →

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On finding the next HPD Chief

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about this. Mayor Sylvester Turner has chosen to select Houston’s next police chief through a private executive search firm, taking the position that the applications and résumés of job candidates do not have to be made available … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments