Tag Archives: HPD

Council proposal to limit HPD cooperation with ICE fails

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m annoyed by this, but it’s not the end of the line. A City Council proposal that would have given Houston police officers discretion over calling federal immigration officials during traffic stops has officially met its demise. The policy change … Continue reading →

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DPS investigating Flock

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

More of an administrative matter than anything else, but potentially with real consequences. State troopers are investigating the company behind thousands of license plate-reading cameras used by police agencies and private groups across the Houston region, over claims the company … Continue reading →

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The gun violence dashboard

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Also from the “closing my tabs” department, this is good stuff. If a person shows up at an emergency room with a gunshot wound, but it’s never reported to the police, did it really happen? If you’re looking solely at … Continue reading →

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Scooter curfew update

Posted on December 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

That was quick. Houston’s new ordinance prohibiting the nighttime rental and use of electric scooters, electric skateboards and similarly powered devices has already reduced late-night riding downtown, officials told the City Council’s Quality of Life Committee on Monday. The ban … Continue reading →

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Scooter curfew enacted

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I guess I’m mostly OK with this. The Houston City Council voted Wednesday to establish a citywide curfew on electric scooter use and rentals between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., citing what officials called a growing public safety risk downtown. … Continue reading →

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Whitmire finally admits that HPD is cooperating with ICE

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Goddamn it. Houston Mayor John Whitmire acknowledged Saturday that the city is cooperating with federal immigration authorities after denying for months that Houston police would get involved with immigration enforcement. Whitmire was a guest speaker at a conference Saturday hosted by former Kemah Mayor Bill King, a fellow at Rice … Continue reading →

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HPD king of overtime reassigned

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. A Houston police officer who racked up more than $170,000 in overtime writing tickets in 2024 has been transferred out of the traffic division, the Chronicle has learned through an open records request. Around a week after testifying in court about … Continue reading →

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Why is HPD calling ICE so much more often now?

Posted on October 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We deserve some answers. Houston police officers have called federal immigration agents on civilians over 100 times since President Donald Trump took office in January — a jump of more than 1,000% from any of the previous five years, according to public records obtained … Continue reading →

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Who asked for this task force?

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Other than Greg Abbott, anyway. State and Harris County law enforcement will join forces on a task force aimed at cracking down on repeat violent offenders, whom police leaders say are fueling much of the region’s crime problem, Gov. Greg … Continue reading →

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Some uses of police overtime are more sensible than others

Posted on September 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. As thousands of protesters gathered at Houston City Hall earlier this year during the No Kings protest against President Donald Trump’s multimillion-dollar military parade, Houston police leaders spent more than $102,000 on police overtime … Continue reading →

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Fewer crime reports being made

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Fewer people called Houston police each year since 2023, a trend that experts say could have multiple causes and is worth keeping an eye on. Slightly more than 1.1 million calls were made to HPD’s patrol divisions in 2023, … Continue reading →

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Leave the “Be Someone” artists alone

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

How is this a good use of HPD’s time? Investigators are searching for the people who repainted Houston’s popular “Be Someone” graffiti mural in June after a video of the act was posted on Instagram. Three people participated in repainting the … Continue reading →

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On HPD and overtime

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Lots to think about here. Houston senior police officer Matthew Davis’ annual salary was about $90,000 this past fiscal year. He made nearly $170,000 more in overtime. It was not an anomaly. Davis has collected more in overtime than his … Continue reading →

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Three perspectives on scooters

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron editorial board calls for regulation over a ban. We’re feeling a bit of whiplash. For a city that has for decades been desperate to get people out of their cars and into central neighborhoods, our leaders seem all … Continue reading →

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Flock responds

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Reporting gets results. Or at least a response. The CEO for Flock cameras has pushed back on recent reporting, including a Chronicle investigation, about the surveillance technology used by Houston police, saying it’s up to local law enforcement to decide … Continue reading →

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Beware of Flock

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It started with this. Flock, the automatic license plate reader (ALPR) company whose cameras are installed in more than 5,000 communities in the U.S., is building a product that will use people lookup tools, data brokers, and data breaches to “jump from … Continue reading →

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Whitmire’s budget passes

Posted on June 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

On to the next thing. The City Council approved Mayor John Whitmire’s nearly $7 billion budget on Wednesday after months of strenuous efforts to cut costs and streamline services as officials contended with the largest deficit in Houston’s history. The … Continue reading →

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Why are we messing with pension reform?

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I do not understand this. The Texas Legislature, with Mayor John Whitmire’s support, is on the cusp of rolling back reforms to Houston’s police and firefighter pensions, worrying experts who call the changes premature, ill-considered, even “stupid.” The proposal comes … Continue reading →

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Judge approves the Whitmire drainage settlement deal

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Okay then. A Harris County District Court judge on Friday approved Mayor John Whitmire’s settlement agreement with plaintiffs to phase in payments to the city’s drainage fund, his office said. The final confirmation comes after more than a month of tension among … Continue reading →

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Storm recovery group challenges Whitmire’s drainage deal

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Plot twist coming, maybe. I’m skipping the first part of this story in which we rehash the 2010 ReNew Houston vote, the ways that Houston made use of the drainage fee revenue that were later challenged in court, the court … Continue reading →

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Mayor Whitmire releases his 2026 budget

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still trying to figure this out. Mayor John Whitmire proposed a $7 billion budget Tuesday for fiscal year 2026, closing a projected $220 million deficit without implementing new fees or taxes for residents. The proposal pulls $3.03 billion from Houston’s general fund, … Continue reading →

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Here’s the Mayor’s deal with HPD

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t wait to see what the budget looks like, because I have no idea how this is all going to work. Houston police officers will receive “the best (benefits) package in anyone’s memory,” Mayor John Whitmire said Friday, but how … Continue reading →

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I got those unwanted speed trap blues

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. Daragh John Carter hates a speed trap near his home so much he began posting about it on Facebook before eventually escalating to standing near it and warning passing motorists it was coming. His actions frustrated a Houston police … Continue reading →

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How much does Houston want to piss off its neighbors?

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is me, shaking my head. A proposal to cut Houston in on revenue generated through the county’s toll roads is threatening the city’s relationship with county officials and neighboring jurisdictions. The legislation making its way through both the Texas House … Continue reading →

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Taking from Harris to give to Houston

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This story from Tuesday perplexed me a little at first. Harris County would have to turn over tens of millions in toll road dollars to the city of Houston for use on public safety and emergency services under a bill … Continue reading →

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Can we make HPD more efficient?

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

You’d think that would be a thing we’d all want. Mayor John Whitmire has made clear he intends to boost salaries and benefits for Houston police officers in their new union contract, but those increases will not be tied to … Continue reading →

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I got those “too much overtime cost” blues

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

More overtime, more problems. The city of Houston is expected to spend twice as much as it budgeted on overtime this year, contributing to next year’s projected $330 million deficit, the city controller’s office said Tuesday. Overtime costs for Houston … Continue reading →

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Eric Dick arrested on misdemeanor assault charge

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

In the news again. Well-known Houston lawyer and Harris County Department of Education Trustee Eric Dick faces a misdemeanor assault charge, adding to his legal and ethical troubles. The Houston Police Department arrested Dick on March 7 for hitting a … Continue reading →

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On HPD and immigration enforcement

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Worth keeping an eye on. Houston Police Department officials pledged to “push for efficiency and effectiveness” in 2025 and further clarified their stance on immigration enforcement as part of a Tuesday presentation to the city’s Public Safety Committee. At the … Continue reading →

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Hollins’ warning about the budget

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is where we are. Houston could face a $330 million deficit in the next fiscal year – up by approximately $100 million after the Texas Supreme Court denied the city’s motion to appeal a years-long court battle over street … Continue reading →

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Metro to help fund HPD traffic enforcement

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A modest revision to an originally large plan. Metro Police Department will spend almost $50 million of its budget to partially fund the city’s traffic enforcement and street light operations in 2025, but that extra funding won’t have much impact … Continue reading →

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HPD’s worsening response times

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Putting a pin in this for later. City leaders blamed an increased lag in police response times in 2024, in part, on the fallout from a scandal in which 264,000 cases were suspended citing a lack of personnel. Police leaders, … Continue reading →

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Multiple settlements of AstroWorld injury lawsuits

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. The start of a trial over injuries suffered during the 2021 Astroworld concert has been delayed until February, after more than 300 of the plaintiffs reached settlements with LiveNation and concert headliner Travis Scott, one of … Continue reading →

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We’re not cutting our way out of this

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A preview of today’s budget debate from the Houston Landing. Four city council members are proposing a 5 percent increase in Houston’s property tax rate they say would enable the city to avoid $86 million in spending cuts and bring … Continue reading →

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