Tag Archives: HPD

Shots fired at Sen. Whitmire’s office

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Jesus. State Sen. John Whitmire said Thursday afternoon he believes the gun used in the predawn shooting of his Houston-area office was likely an AR-15 assault rifle. The Houston Democrat’s office was fired on at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday. No … Continue reading →

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Turner names interim HPD chief

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations, Chief Montalvo. Mayor Sylvester Turner has tapped 36-year Houston Police Department veteran Martha Montalvo to lead the department while his team conducts a nationwide search for a new permanent chief. Montalvo, 56, has served as chief of staff to … Continue reading →

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More questions about body cameras and video accessibility

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Still sorting it all out. Months after statewide body camera legislation took effect and the Houston Police Department outlined its policies regarding the devices, local criminal justice watchdogs worry that some video from high-profile incidents may never see the light … Continue reading →

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HPD Chief McClelland to retire

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Sylvester Turner today announced that he has accepted the retirement of Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland, effective February 26, 2016. McClelland was sworn in as a police officer in September 1977. He rose through the ranks … Continue reading →

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When should body camera video be released?

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

HPD is still working on it. As the Houston Police Department begins rolling out body cameras among the rank and file, Chief Charles A. McClelland said the department is changing its policy governing how and when HPD releases videos collected … Continue reading →

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Would you like to sit in armed or unarmed?

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Houstonia: Imagine it’s a Saturday afternoon. You stop into Whataburger to pick up lunch with your kids in tow, the only thing on your mind remembering which kid doesn’t want ketchup on his burger, which kid only wants ketchup … Continue reading →

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Council approves body camera contract

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Moving forward. City Council approved a $3.4 million contract Wednesday to equip Houston Police Department officers with body-worn cameras despite some lingering concerns that key pieces of the city’s policy for the equipment have not been finalized. Councilmen Mike Laster, … Continue reading →

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Ground broken on the joint processing center

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The majority of suspects arrested by Houston police get booked at one of two city jails, and within 48 hours they are transferred and booked in all over again at the Harris County Jail. Two years from now, officials … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court to get deposed

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and all four county commissioners are scheduled to be deposed Monday in a federal lawsuit filed by former Houston Police Department crime lab supervisors who said they experienced retaliation after … Continue reading →

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Defining HPD body camera policies

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still a work in progress. Houston Police Department officers would activate body cameras when arriving at a crime scene, initiating a traffic stop and during an arrest or search, according to a long awaited proposal outlining use of the … Continue reading →

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Council approves inmate processing center deal with Harris County

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. An end is in sight for the inefficient process of shuttling prisoners in and out of redundant local lockups after the City Council on Wednesday approved an agreement with Harris County to build a long-discussed inmate processing … Continue reading →

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On cellphones and school zones

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I guess I need to talk about this. Six years ago, state lawmakers hoping to protect students banned drivers from texting and talking on hand-held cellphones in school zones. The ban, however, has never been enforced in Houston. City and … Continue reading →

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Turner’s police plan

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Time to look at a major policy proposal, from Mayoral candidate Sylvester Turner. Mayoral candidate Sylvester Turner unveiled a plan Thursday to expand the Houston Police Department by 540 officers by 2020, an effort he said is needed to help … Continue reading →

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Harris County DA to investigate Planned Parenthood clinic here

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t spent any time writing about the misleading attack videos on Planned Parenthood being put out by yet another shadowy anti-abortion group, so let me dispense with this. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said Wednesday her office has … Continue reading →

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Sheriff asks for more funds for body cameras

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good move. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office recently applied for a grant from the Department of Justice to purchase 750 wearable body cameras, a new technology aimed at improving government transparency and accountability after a year of high-profile police-involved shootings … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit against county by former crime lab supervisor partially reinstated

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a bit of a convoluted story. A federal appeals court has reinstated portions of a lawsuit filed by two former Houston Police Department crime lab supervisors who contended that Harris County prosecutors retaliated against them after they exposed problems … Continue reading →

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A whiter shade of male

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Sheriffing is a man’s job, ladies. I’m sure you understand that. One month into his job as Harris County sheriff, Ron Hickman has filled his roster of top commanders, a new hierarchy marked by one omission: There are no women. … Continue reading →

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There are too many questions that need to be answered before we can talk about expanding HPD

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Chief McClelland is going to have to start answering them if he wants support for increasing HPD’s budget. Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland last year asked City Council for $105 million over five years to hire hundreds of new officers, … Continue reading →

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Early returns on body cameras are positive

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

So far so good. The majority of 100 Houston Police Department officers who have field tested body cameras over a recent two-month period called it a positive experience, though many expressed concern that the technology could endanger officer safety or … Continue reading →

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Fighting illegal dumping

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Illegal dumping of trash is a huge problem in some Houston neighborhoods. Enforcement is especially tricky because unless you catch someone in the act, there’s little to no evidence to go on. One way to help catch dumpers in the … Continue reading →

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The Memphis pension cutting experience

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

In discussions about Houston’s pension liabilities, the city of Detroit is often trotted out as an analogy and cautionary tale. There’s another city that may be a more accurate comparison, and it’s offering an illustration right now of what might … Continue reading →

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Police officers’ pension fund speaks up

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The firefighters’ pension fund is the one that gets all the attention, but it’s not the only one the city is responsible for. The Houston Police Officers Pension System (HPOPS) has sent a letter to the city reminding it that … Continue reading →

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We need to know how body cameras are going to be used

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Having the body cameras is great, but it’s how we use them that really matters. Harris County’s two largest police agencies are testing body cameras on officers but refuse to release their policies detailing when the cameras should be turned … Continue reading →

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All backlogged rape kits have been tested

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Great news. Houston officials have completed the lab testing and review of a three-decade backlog of rape kits, yielding 850 matches in the national DNA database. On Monday, Mayor Annise Parker, District Attorney Devon Anderson and police department and crime … Continue reading →

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HPD to get a pay raise

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker and the police union agree to a new contract. The Houston Police Department hopes a new union contract that targets raises primarily to younger officers will ward off recruiting struggles that have forced it to offer bonuses to … Continue reading →

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2015 Mayoral manifesto: Public safety

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Preliminaries Transportation When I first started thinking about this series a couple of months ago, this section was all going to be about the budget. We’ve covered this ground before – public safety is about 65% of the total city … Continue reading →

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Now what do we do with those body cameras?

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

KPRC addresses an important question. HPD has been running a pilot program regarding body cameras for more than a year. 100 officers are currently wearing a body camera. The department has yet to finalize a policy on the use of … Continue reading →

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Still no consensus on how to deal with the criminal justice complex

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

And it’s back to the Mayor. Pushed by Mayor Annise Parker to decide whether Houston’s aging police and courts buildings should get patchwork repairs or be fully replaced, with both options carrying staggering price tags, City Council members instead opted … Continue reading →

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Safe passing law update

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Houston has an ordinance requiring vehicles to give bikes a three-foot buffer on the streets. How much of an effect has it had so far? A law authorizing police to ticket drivers for encroaching on bicyclists and … Continue reading →

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The next generation of leaders

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The future looks good. A new generation of black activist leadership in Houston has emerged from the protests over the officer-involved deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York. At one point during a town … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court approves body camera purchase

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved District Attorney Devon Anderson’s plan to spend $1.9 million in seized assets to equip Houston police officers and Harris County sheriff’s deputies with body cameras. County officials also said they would … Continue reading →

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Repair or replace?

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Consider this an object lesson in the cost of deferring maintenance. A new Houston police headquarters and courthouse complex, discussed for decades, could reach a key turning point this week as Mayor Annise Parker seeks to force City Council members … Continue reading →

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DA’s office to help buy body cams

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson plans to purchase hundreds of body-worn cameras for Houston police officers and sheriff’s deputies, weeks after widespread protests erupted when a white Missouri police officer was not charged for fatally shooting … Continue reading →

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Mayor Parker wants body cameras for HPD

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston won’t wait for federal funding before buying body cameras for all of the city’s uniformed police officers, Mayor Annise Parker said Wednesday, as activists launched a petition drive for an ordinance essentially mandating the mayor’s plans. Both the … Continue reading →

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