Houston City Council member Jolanda “Jo” Jones is no stranger to controversy. Just recently she was cleared by the Office of Inspector General following allegations of misconduct during a visit to fire station #8.
Now she is facing new allegations of misconduct.
This time from the Houston Police Officers Union and some fellow members of city council. They’re accusing Jones of using her city council position to get new business for her private law practice and foster a climate of mistrust between the community and Houston police officers.
The controversy began when Jones handed out flyers at two community meetings organized to discuss allegations of police brutality and the videotaped beating of teen burglary suspect Chad Holley.
The Jones’ flyer has several tips under the headline “Know Your Rights With The Police.”
It states that people should never speak to police or sign a consent to search.
Jones encourages people to contact their lawyer.
However, what some find even more troubling is that Jones listed her business phone number for legal services and her city council number for people to report misconduct.
In an interview that aired on Channel 2, Jones told me that she doesn’t see a conflict of interest and that she believes it’s important for people to know their constitutional rights when interacting with the police.
Meanwhile, several sources have told me they asked for the Office of Inspector General, County Attorney and the State Bar of Texas to investigate Jones.
Stay tuned. Jones insists she has done nothing wrong and believes the allegations are designed to serve as a distraction from some of the bigger problems facing HPD.
Mary Benton Media 