More Cops for Houston

Mayor Bill White has decided that the city of Houston will spend an extra $24 million on police overtime in the next three years while boosting the number of officers on the streets by more than 500 in that period. I feel this announcement gives us hope for tomorrow; our children and more vulnerable citizens will reap the benefits of a 10% increase in HPD personnel, which totals well over 500 additional uniformed officers. Since Katrina the crime rate has increased tremendously in Houston, and having a shortage in the Police department is really taking a toll. The department has been waiting on the grants in the wakes of hurricane Katrina and Rita to really crack down on the “hot spots” in crime. The city is expecting $20 million in community development block grants to spend on overtime soon. Mayor White said The overtime money will finance more than 500,000 hours of police work through the fiscal year that ends in July 2010, Approximately 190 additional police officers, from three academy classes added to the four already planned in the next fiscal year. When combined with new academy classes last year and this year, along with next year's classes previously planned, In the next nine months the city will implement a program to permanently replace 78 police public officers now serving on jail duty with civilian jailers. This will result in more uniformed officers being available for patrol and investigations. The city also will proceed with a request for proposal for a new citywide radio system, which will cost in excess of $100 million. Radios for first responders, including police, fire and EMS will be among the first to be replaced. I feel that the additional five hundred officers in the next three years will help Houston clean up a great deal along with the new radio technology.

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