As protests over George Floyd’s death swept the nation, activists in Houston cried out for police reform. Among their demands: Give us an independent police watchdog.One already exists, city officials said: Houston’s Independent Police Oversight Board.But the board lacks meaningful power, with one longtime civil rights activist calling it “window dressing.”Houston’s Independent Police Oversight Board, which reviews investigations completed by the Houston Police Department’s internal affairs division, meets at police headquarters. It cannot launch its own inquiries or accept complaints...…As protests over George Floyd’s death swept the nation, activists in Houston cried out for police reform. Among their demands: Give us an independent police watchdog.One already exists, city officials said: Houston’s Independent Police Oversight Board.But the board lacks meaningful power, with one longtime civil rights activist calling it “window dressing.”Houston’s Independent Police Oversight Board, which reviews investigations completed by the Houston Police Department’s internal affairs division, meets at police headquarters. It cannot launch its own inquiries or accept complaints...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateHouston Police Chief Art Acevedo’s voice cracked several times and his eyes welled as he railed against the death of George Floyd beneath a policeman’s knee and implored protesters to demonstrate peacefully with him.“I will not allow anyone to tear down this city, because this is our city,” Acevedo shouted on Sunday to the group of mostly black Houstonians surrounding him at one of many protests in the wake of video showing Floyd’s fatal encounter with police in Minneapolis. “Pay close attention! Because these little white guys...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateHouston Police Chief Art Acevedo’s voice cracked several times and his eyes welled as he railed against the death of George Floyd beneath a policeman’s knee and implored protesters to demonstrate peacefully with him.“I will not allow anyone to tear down this city, because this is our city,” Acevedo shouted on Sunday to the group of mostly black Houstonians surrounding him at one of many protests in the wake of video showing Floyd’s fatal encounter with police in Minneapolis. “Pay close attention! Because these little white guys...WW…

Published May 21, 2020Raul Razo and three buddies were knocking out their daily situps and pushups in their 72-man tank at the Harris County Jail in late March when they were overcome. All four were gasping for air.“Uno por uno. Uno por uno,” Razo told his wife in a phone call punctuated by dry coughs. One by one they’d abandoned their workout and slogged off to their bunks.The next day they lay within arms’ reach of one another in their tight fortress of metal-frame beds, shaking with chills and passing up meals. They had crushing headaches, achy bones, sore muscles, chest pain, nausea,...…Published May 21, 2020Raul Razo and three buddies were knocking out their daily situps and pushups in their 72-man tank at the Harris County Jail in late March when they were overcome. All four were gasping for air.“Uno por uno. Uno por uno,” Razo told his wife in a phone call punctuated by dry coughs. One by one they’d abandoned their workout and slogged off to their bunks.The next day they lay within arms’ reach of one another in their tight fortress of metal-frame beds, shaking with chills and passing up meals. They had crushing headaches, achy bones, sore muscles, chest pain, nausea,...WW…

The Houston Police Department plans to join Harris County’s cite-and-release program, fulfilling advocates’ long-running request to implement a policy they say keeps low-level offenders out of jail and saves law enforcement resources for more serious threats.In a presentation to the city council’s Public Safety Committee, Assistant Chief Wendy Baimbridge on Thursday laid out the program HPD will use for a set of six misdemeanors offenses. The strategy by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and other local departments, using a program set up by Harris County court-at-law judges.In those...…The Houston Police Department plans to join Harris County’s cite-and-release program, fulfilling advocates’ long-running request to implement a policy they say keeps low-level offenders out of jail and saves law enforcement resources for more serious threats.In a presentation to the city council’s Public Safety Committee, Assistant Chief Wendy Baimbridge on Thursday laid out the program HPD will use for a set of six misdemeanors offenses. The strategy by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and other local departments, using a program set up by Harris County court-at-law judges.In those...WW…

Mayor Sylvester Turner appears unlikely to renegotiate a contract with Houston police officers, a setback to advocates who saw negotiations as a means to reform the Houston Police Department and make bargaining meetings available for public viewing.If no new deal is reached, an “evergreen” provision will kick in to continue the current contract and give HPD officers a 2 percent raise next year.The city’s contract with the Houston Police Officers’ Union is set to run out at the end of the year. If either side wants to cancel the contract and renegotiate, the agreement requires 90 days’...…Mayor Sylvester Turner appears unlikely to renegotiate a contract with Houston police officers, a setback to advocates who saw negotiations as a means to reform the Houston Police Department and make bargaining meetings available for public viewing.If no new deal is reached, an “evergreen” provision will kick in to continue the current contract and give HPD officers a 2 percent raise next year.The city’s contract with the Houston Police Officers’ Union is set to run out at the end of the year. If either side wants to cancel the contract and renegotiate, the agreement requires 90 days’...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThe Toyota Corolla and Sienna minivan that Maoye Sun and his wife, Mei Xie, drove are still parked outside their spacious Cole's Crossing home. The vehicles are clean. The lawn at the two-story brick residence gets mowed regularly by the local homeowners association, and the lights still come on at night.Nothing hints at the horrible events that took place six months ago, when the middle-age couple and their two sons were found slain inside the Cypress-area house."It's almost like they're still in there, like nothing really...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThe Toyota Corolla and Sienna minivan that Maoye Sun and his wife, Mei Xie, drove are still parked outside their spacious Cole's Crossing home. The vehicles are clean. The lawn at the two-story brick residence gets mowed regularly by the local homeowners association, and the lights still come on at night.Nothing hints at the horrible events that took place six months ago, when the middle-age couple and their two sons were found slain inside the Cypress-area house."It's almost like they're still in there, like nothing really...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateChas Moore watched in shock one night in 2017 as Austin City Council voted on the city’s proposed police contract.He and other criminal justice reformers had spent months observing contract negotiations and lobbying council members to reject a deal they said was too expensive and lacked crucial accountability measures.The city’s 10 council members and mayor raised their hands to vote the deal down.“I don’t think anyone thought that would happen,” said Moore, president of the Austin Justice Coalition. “Historically people fight...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateChas Moore watched in shock one night in 2017 as Austin City Council voted on the city’s proposed police contract.He and other criminal justice reformers had spent months observing contract negotiations and lobbying council members to reject a deal they said was too expensive and lacked crucial accountability measures.The city’s 10 council members and mayor raised their hands to vote the deal down.“I don’t think anyone thought that would happen,” said Moore, president of the Austin Justice Coalition. “Historically people fight...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThe dog wouldn’t stop biting. That’s what Olivia Sligh remembers most from the incident that landed her in the hospital in July 2018.Sligh’s boyfriend called police, frantic. His 24-year-old girlfriend was hurting herself and needed help. She had reacted badly to her new psychiatric medication.When two Conroe police officers arrived at their home on Plantation Drive, Sligh had fled into the nearby woods in an attempt to avoid being taken to the hospital.The officers and their German shepherd followed. When they found her, an...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThe dog wouldn’t stop biting. That’s what Olivia Sligh remembers most from the incident that landed her in the hospital in July 2018.Sligh’s boyfriend called police, frantic. His 24-year-old girlfriend was hurting herself and needed help. She had reacted badly to her new psychiatric medication.When two Conroe police officers arrived at their home on Plantation Drive, Sligh had fled into the nearby woods in an attempt to avoid being taken to the hospital.The officers and their German shepherd followed. When they found her, an...WW…

Jason Knox was often behind the wheel of his eye-catching Oilers-blue police cruiser — a 1996 Chevrolet Caprice that he patched up from scraps and drove around Houston.But the tactical helicopter was what he called “the best office ever.”For years, Knox, a Houston police officer, trained his eyes on the force’s Air and Marine Division. In January 2019, he finally landed the job and said goodbye to the Public Affairs Division.Late Friday night, Knox posted a picture of the Caprice next to a modern police SUV on his Instagram, “VintageHPD.” He called his ride the “old mid 90s livery” —...…Jason Knox was often behind the wheel of his eye-catching Oilers-blue police cruiser — a 1996 Chevrolet Caprice that he patched up from scraps and drove around Houston.But the tactical helicopter was what he called “the best office ever.”For years, Knox, a Houston police officer, trained his eyes on the force’s Air and Marine Division. In January 2019, he finally landed the job and said goodbye to the Public Affairs Division.Late Friday night, Knox posted a picture of the Caprice next to a modern police SUV on his Instagram, “VintageHPD.” He called his ride the “old mid 90s livery” —...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateUnauthorized informant payments. Missing case review sheets. Incomplete offense reports. Hundreds of other administrative errors by undercover Houston Police narcotics officers.When internal auditors probed the Narcotics Division’s street level drug-suppression squads, they found widespread sloppiness and lax supervision.The document — which the Houston Police Department released in a post on Twitter after a series of stories in the Chronicle about the department’s lack of transparency and after District Attorney Kim Ogg announced...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateUnauthorized informant payments. Missing case review sheets. Incomplete offense reports. Hundreds of other administrative errors by undercover Houston Police narcotics officers.When internal auditors probed the Narcotics Division’s street level drug-suppression squads, they found widespread sloppiness and lax supervision.The document — which the Houston Police Department released in a post on Twitter after a series of stories in the Chronicle about the department’s lack of transparency and after District Attorney Kim Ogg announced...WW…