Tag Archives: HPOU

McClelland’s response

I have to say, I’m not impressed. Defending his department’s failure to investigate thousands of crimes last year, Police Chief Charles McClelland on Thursday said the understaffed Houston Police Department does not and should not have a goal of aggressively … Continue reading

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More details on the rape kit backlog results

HPD reports to Council about the progress of testing done on the backlogged rape kits. No false arrests by Houston police have been uncovered during an ongoing $4.4 million testing of thousands of old rape kits, but new suspects have … Continue reading

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Police cameras

It’s disappointing that Houston lags behind other cities in using dashboard cameras in police cars, but I am glad to see we are trying to catch up. Houston police have fewer dashboard cameras than any major Texas law enforcement agency, … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: SEIU and HAR

This came in on Thursday: SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Texas, including janitors who clean office buildings, housekeeping workers at GRB and food service workers, have endorsed Mayor Annise Parker for re-election. Houston members have also launched an effort to … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More troubles for CM Jones

There have not been many dull moments this year for CM Jolanda Jones. That seems unlikely to change in the near future. [O]n Wednesday, revelations surfaced that one of her staffers photographed a citizen picking up public records from her … Continue reading

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

Lineup update

The Chron story that ran in yesterday’s news is now updated online to reflect the fact that CM Melissa Noriega does have two opponents, Brad Batteau and Chris Carmona. I emailed reporter Chris Moran yesterday to ask about that discrepancy, … Continue reading

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Inspector General cites CM Jones

Ouch. Houston City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones used city employees to help run her personal law practice and instructed her staff not to meet with investigators looking into her alleged misconduct, the city’s inspector general has determined. For three of the … Continue reading

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Some Prop 3 action

Campos observed last week that there hasn’t been any action on Prop 3, which is the red light camera referendum. That’s about to change. The Houston Professional Firefighters Association, a group that represents more than 4,000 firefighters, said it supports … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Hail to the (interim) Chief

As expected, HPD Chief Harold Hurtt has quietly slipped out the door in advance of Mayor-Elect Annise Parker taking the reins of the city. Until she names his replacement, here’s who will fill in. Executive Assistant Chief C.A. McClelland will … Continue reading

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Mayor Parker hits the ground running

Mayor-Elect Annise Parker talks to the Chron and tells us again what she intends to do after she’s sworn in. “One of the reasons I’m not having that big, excited, happy feeling is that there is a lot of work … Continue reading

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Parker’s crimefighting plan

Tis the season for Mayoral candidates to send out position papers on various issues. I’ve gotten a couple in my mailbox in the past few days and want to spend a little time examining them. First up is Annise Parker’s … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Cops and crime

The news is mixed, though I see it as being presented as more bad than good. Houston has a higher rate of violent crime than any other Texas city and ranks among the highest in the nation, according to a … Continue reading

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HPOU touts its opposition to eyewitness ID reform

Here’s a clip from the Houston Police Officers’ Union publication, Badge and Gun (June/July 2009 issue), written by HPOU President Gary Blankinship, detailing how HPOU successfully helped lead the fight against a couple of bills by State Sen. Rodney Ellis … Continue reading

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Brown and Locke spar over education

At a Mayoral forum on Thursday, Gene Locke and Peter Brown get into it over the school system. Gene Locke, the former city attorney, targeted Councilman Peter Brown’s recent statement to the Chronicle that Houstonians should consider forming an urban … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HPOU wants to get into the immigration business

I really don’t know why it is that the Houston Police Officers Union has decided it wants HPD to be different from every other urban police force in the state and start questioning residents about their immigration status. The reasons … Continue reading

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