HOUSTON, TX - Speaking with Fox News Digital, Ray Hunt, executive director of the Houston Police union echoed concerns that he and other union leaders have about the city's safety as criminal suspects are given low bonds and remain on the streets while the Houston Police Department (HPD) struggles with staffing shortages.
Hunt said in a statement, "I have never in my lifetime, and I'm a lifelong Houstonian, seen this many suspected murderers and capital murderers who are walking the streets of Houston out on multiple bonds. I would not let my wife or my kids walk down the streets of Houston at midnight under any circumstances. It is not safe in major cities in 2024, and it's not safe here."
Not only are there many suspected criminals out on the streets instead of waiting for their court date in jail, but at the same time HPD continues to struggle with recruiting new officers and retaining their current officers. This is an issue that is plaguing many police departments, especially those in large cities, across the country.
Houston Police Union President Douglas Griffith said, "We're in a perfect storm right now. We had the George Floyd effect come down. We can't hire. We can't retain our officers. The people are leaving left and right." Hunt added, "Who the heck wants to be a police officer in 2024 when every single thing that they're doing is going to be second-guessed by their body-worn camera that someone can watch three or four times to determine whether or not that officer made the right split-second decisions."
He added, "I don't know who would want to do that. I could not encourage any of my family to become a police officer in 2024 with the situation that's going on." Griffith said that the Houston City Council was made aware of the staffing shortages within the department an entire decade ago, after a 2014 Sam Houston State University report revealed that there was a shortage of 1,500 officers in the city.
Hunt said, "In 2014, it said if Houston was staffed like Chicago, we would have 9,602 sworn officers. At the time we had about 5,600 - 4,000 short. Now we have just over 5,000. We've already lost officers since then." Griffith added, "As a result of this shortage, we will never be able to investigate every case."
Hunt said, "A survey of investigative division commanders revealed excessively high numbers of cases with leads that were not investigated in 2013 due to lack of personnel. This was 2014 they're writing this. For burglary and theft, nearly 15,000 cases were suspended — 3,000 assault cases in the homicide division, 3,000 hit-and-run cases for that year. They knew that. Everyone knew that we were shorthanded, and now everyone wants to say, 'Wow, these officers are lazy. They're not doing their job.' Completely untrue."
Hunt added, "This was presented to City Council at the time, this was presented to every person. And you can find the tapes on there where one of the council member says, 'Wow, y'all just put us on notice that we've got a serious staffing problem.'" Griffith turned the attention to the court system, holding them accountable for "not doing their job."
He said, "Their contention is that we can't hold somebody. We have to give everybody a bond, yes, the first time. Once they violate that bond, they can be held in jail until they go to court again. And we get people on six, seven, eight, nine bonds at one time, and that's a problem that we have to fix in the courts. And with the DA's office, you try to make sure that these public offenders can't be continued to roam the streets and victimize our citizens."
Hunt compared Harris County, where Houston is located, to Montgomery County, which is just north of Houston. He said that in Houston, someone may not go to court for five to six years, but in Montgomery, criminals are held accountable. Hunt said, "Crooks in this area know the boundary lines of Harris County and Montgomery County. They don't want to commit crimes in Montgomery County because they know they're going to be held responsible."
Hunt said in a statement, "I have never in my lifetime, and I'm a lifelong Houstonian, seen this many suspected murderers and capital murderers who are walking the streets of Houston out on multiple bonds. I would not let my wife or my kids walk down the streets of Houston at midnight under any circumstances. It is not safe in major cities in 2024, and it's not safe here."
Not only are there many suspected criminals out on the streets instead of waiting for their court date in jail, but at the same time HPD continues to struggle with recruiting new officers and retaining their current officers. This is an issue that is plaguing many police departments, especially those in large cities, across the country.
Houston Police Union President Douglas Griffith said, "We're in a perfect storm right now. We had the George Floyd effect come down. We can't hire. We can't retain our officers. The people are leaving left and right." Hunt added, "Who the heck wants to be a police officer in 2024 when every single thing that they're doing is going to be second-guessed by their body-worn camera that someone can watch three or four times to determine whether or not that officer made the right split-second decisions."
He added, "I don't know who would want to do that. I could not encourage any of my family to become a police officer in 2024 with the situation that's going on." Griffith said that the Houston City Council was made aware of the staffing shortages within the department an entire decade ago, after a 2014 Sam Houston State University report revealed that there was a shortage of 1,500 officers in the city.
Hunt said, "In 2014, it said if Houston was staffed like Chicago, we would have 9,602 sworn officers. At the time we had about 5,600 - 4,000 short. Now we have just over 5,000. We've already lost officers since then." Griffith added, "As a result of this shortage, we will never be able to investigate every case."
Hunt said, "A survey of investigative division commanders revealed excessively high numbers of cases with leads that were not investigated in 2013 due to lack of personnel. This was 2014 they're writing this. For burglary and theft, nearly 15,000 cases were suspended — 3,000 assault cases in the homicide division, 3,000 hit-and-run cases for that year. They knew that. Everyone knew that we were shorthanded, and now everyone wants to say, 'Wow, these officers are lazy. They're not doing their job.' Completely untrue."
Hunt added, "This was presented to City Council at the time, this was presented to every person. And you can find the tapes on there where one of the council member says, 'Wow, y'all just put us on notice that we've got a serious staffing problem.'" Griffith turned the attention to the court system, holding them accountable for "not doing their job."
He said, "Their contention is that we can't hold somebody. We have to give everybody a bond, yes, the first time. Once they violate that bond, they can be held in jail until they go to court again. And we get people on six, seven, eight, nine bonds at one time, and that's a problem that we have to fix in the courts. And with the DA's office, you try to make sure that these public offenders can't be continued to roam the streets and victimize our citizens."
Hunt compared Harris County, where Houston is located, to Montgomery County, which is just north of Houston. He said that in Houston, someone may not go to court for five to six years, but in Montgomery, criminals are held accountable. Hunt said, "Crooks in this area know the boundary lines of Harris County and Montgomery County. They don't want to commit crimes in Montgomery County because they know they're going to be held responsible."
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Comments
2024-04-23T20:48-0400 | Comment by: Raconteur
Houston, enjoy those murderers, rapists and other violent felons! All compliments of voting for Democrats. You voted for the government you got and you deserve everything coming to you.
2024-04-23T21:29-0400 | Comment by: James
You sissies keep censoring my comments ..... Truth hurts huh ....
2024-04-23T21:29-0400 | Comment by: James
You sissies keep censoring my comments ..... Truth hurts huh ....
2024-04-24T15:25-0400 | Comment by: Clifford
I'm retired LE, & unfortunately have not been able to recommend an LE career to anyone for several years. Things have just reached a crisis point the last 4 years & are going to get lots worse before we see much improvement. Lowering standards will only cost down the line. And the guys still on the street, being second guessed over every little aspect of their day, wears them down over time. Then you get the judges/DAs that go easy on the criminals, eventually gets some to just ask "what's the point?" Really sad situation our whole country is in.
2024-04-24T15:26-0400 | Comment by: Clifford
I'm retired LE, & unfortunately have not been able to recommend an LE career to anyone for several years. Things have just reached a crisis point the last 4 years & are going to get lots worse before we see much improvement. Lowering standards will only cost down the line. And the guys still on the street, being second guessed over every little aspect of their day, wears them down over time. Then you get the judges/DAs that go easy on the criminals, eventually gets some to just ask "what's the point?" Really sad situation our whole country is in.