Houston Police Endorse Gov. Rick Perry Over Bill White October 7, 2010

Sanctuary City. Police Officer Shortage. A Police Chief from outside of HPD.

Leaders of  the Houston Police Officers’ Union said  those were  the main issues that cost former Houston Mayor Bill White the organization’s endorsement. 

On Thursday, HPOU announced that it would back  Republican Incumbent Governor Rick Perry.

As he accepted the groups’ endorsement, Perry was surrounded by several HPD officers , including Joslyn Johnson.  Her husband, Officer Rodney Johnson,  was killed by an illegal immigrant during a traffic stop.

Governor Perry vowed to ask the legislature in January to take “emergency  action to abolish sanctuary cities.”

Losing the endorsement of the 5-thousand member organization  is  a blow to White’s campaign. 

He was also snubbed by the Houston Professional Firefighters Association.

All candidates want to appear strong on public safety issues. 

Some voters around the state will also wonder why Houston’s former Mayor isn’t being endorsed by police officers and firefighters who served under him.

Retired Houston Police Officer Indicted for 1st Degree Theft April 16, 2010

 Houston Tx – A Harris County grand jury indicted retired HPD Officer Matthew Calley Thursday for the first degree felony offenses of Theft over $200,000 and Misapplication of Fiduciary Property over $200,000.  This concludes a months-long investigation conducted by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Division and the Houston Police Department’s Major Fraud Division. Calley faces up to 99 years or life in prison and up to a $10,000 fine if convicted of the offenses.

Calley was a long-serving member of the Houston Police Officers’ Union (HPOU) and a member of the HPOU Board of Directors. While a member of the HPOU Board of Directors, Calley was the chairman of the HPOU Ways and Means Committee and the chairman of the HPOU Political Action Committee. As the chairman of these respective committees, Calley had signatory authority over the bank accounts for both the Ways and Means Committee and the Political Action Committee. Calley had been entrusted with the sole responsibility for managing the assets of these accounts and of making expenditures in the best interest of the HPOU and its members.

In January, the Public Integrity Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the Houston Police Department’s Financial Crimes Division began conducting an investigation into Calley’s management of these accounts. This investigation was initiated in response to a report made by HPOU President Gary Blankinship. On January 22, Blankinship had been contacted by a fraud investigator with Capital One, who advised that they had identified several suspicious and possibly fraudulent payments to a personal credit card account with HPOU funds.

The indictments allege that Calley exploited his position as chairman of the HPOU Ways and Means Committee and chairman of the HPOU Political Action Committee to unlawfully appropriate funds and contributions from each of their accounts. The indictments allege that the timing of the theft and fraud committed by Calley began as early as June 2003 and the scheme proceeded as a continuing course of criminal conduct through January 2010.

A Blood Drive To Help Houston Police Officers December 18, 2009

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday (Dec. 21), members of the public are invited to donate blood in support of police officers and their families. 

 

The blood drive, to be held at the Houston Police Officers Union Building at 1602 State Street, will benefit active and retired officers and their families from various law enforcement agencies. 

WHAT: Blood Drive for Active and Retired Officers and their Families 

DATE: MONDAY (Dec. 21) 

TIME: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

WHERE: HPOU Building, 1602 State Street (Key map 493-K) 

Police Union Sends Out Mail Piece For Gene Locke December 1, 2009

As the issue of  public safety continues to dominate the debate in the runoff  race for mayor,  the Houston Police Officers’ Union is making a big push to help Gene Locke, its endorsed candidate, get elected. 

HPOU is preparing to send this political mail piece/election flyer to homes across the city.   The message is direct: Vote to keep Houston safe. Vote Gene Locke for Mayor.

HPOU believes that Locke has the best plan to protect Houston’s neighborhoods.  He has promised to increase the number of  officers on the street, screen for an  inmate’s immigration status inside the jails and support a coordinated partnership between law enforcement agencies.

Under the current city budget  prepared by  Mayor Bill White and his administration, public safety expenditures account for more than sixty-percent of the total general fund budget.

Locke has promised voters and police officers that he will continue to  keep public safety his top priority if elected mayor.

Annise Parker Responds To Police Union Concerns November 30, 2009

Earlier I posted a news release from the Houston Police Officers’ Union attacking mayoral candidate Annise Parker for running what the Union called “false and misleading” TV ads.

The Parker campaign has issued the following response:

Statement by Adam Harris, Annise Parker Campaign Manager on HPOU release:  

The one who is “playing fast and loose with the truth” is Gary Blankinship.  Parker’s ad clearly states the law enforcement organizations that have endorsed her:  the Houston Police Patrolmen’s Union, the Metro Police, the Mexican American Sheriff’s Organization and the Harris County Afro-American Sheriff’s Deputy League.  Yet, Blankinship says these are not “legitimate” police officers.

In fact, Lawyer-Lobbyist Gene Locke’s ad implies he has the endorsement of all police officers, which is patently untrue, and does not mention the name of the organization endorsing him.  

Mr. Blankinship is recycling tired, false accusations that have already been discredited in an effort to divert attention from his own problems with credibility.  His excuse that “the tape ran out” on Parker’s screening meeting with HPOU is akin to a “the dog ate my homework” excuse that a five- year-old would use. Mr. Blankinship won’t come clean with the tape because he knows it will prove his accusations false. 

The voters know that Annise Parker has committed to providing Houstonians the best trained, best equipped and best paid police officers in the state.  In fact, as Controller, Parker conducted audits that identified waste and mismanagement and freed up funding for priorities like public safety.  Lawyer-lobbyist Locke, on the other hand, has made promise after promise but has not detailed how he will pay for anything.

 

The Race For Mayor Heats Up On The First Day Of Early Voting November 30, 2009

It’s cold and wet on the first day of  early voting in the city of  Houston runoff election, but the attacks are starting to heat up in the race for Mayor.

Candidate Annise Parker and a group of   her supporters gathered at the West Gray Multi-Service Center to cast their ballots.  They didn’t let the gray skies and drizzle dampen their enthusiasm. 

Parker, who polls show is holding a slight lead over Gene Locke, says she feels optimistic about her chances of winning the runoff  election.

She also told reporters that the tone of the race is about to get much “sharper” and that she plans to “defend herself against false attacks from Locke.”

Meanwhile, The Houston Police Officers’ Union is accusing Parker of  running false and misleading radio and TV ads.

HPOU, the largest police union in the city, sent 2 On The Beat  the following news release today: 

*** ALL POINTS BULLETIN ***

November 30, 2009

 Houston Police OfficersAccuse Annise Parker

Of Identity Theft Scheme

 HOUSTON – How would you feel if someone had stolen your identity?   

Today, the Houston Police Officers’ Union put out an all-points “press” bulletin asking Houston voters to be wary of false and misleading radio and television ads by mayoral candidate, Ms. Annise Parker.

 HPOU, Houston’s largest and most respected police officer organization, is warning Houston voters to not be misled by Parker’s radio and television ads which falsely imply she has the police group’s endorsement. The police organization has endorsed Gene Locke for Mayor in the upcoming runoff election.

“To trick voters, Annise Parker is playing fast and loose with the truth and our respected identity,” said Gary Blankinship, president of the 5,000-plus member Houston Police Officers’ Union.  “While it may not be a true crime, it’s disingenuous for Ms. Parker to claim we support her.  The truth is, in past elections we did support her, however, recently she lost our support and our trust.  Houston police do not support Ms. Parker because she has no plan to support the police department of help officers fight crime in Houston.

 The HPOU encourages voters to approach Parker and her claims with extreme caution.  “Parker’s ads deceitfully imply she has our endorsement, which she does not,” Blankinship stated. “We endorse Gene Locke for Mayor.” 

“Annise Parker needs to immediately pull down her misleading ads, but too much is at stake for her to do the right thing.  Houston voters need to know what we know.  Ms. Parker’s ill-advised non-plan is to do absolutely nothing to help HPD.  Her only plan is to mislead people into believing legitimate police officers have endorsed her.  We have not and would strongly advise voters to reject Ms. Parker’s false and intentionally misleading claims,” challenged Blankinship.    

The police group says Parker’s mayoral campaign has developed a rap sheet of being abandoning HPD on successful crime fighting strategies. During the mayoral campaign Parker has said she wants to “take apart” the Houston Police Department and has said she would NOT support more funding for additional police patrol officers.  The police group also points out that Parker has voted against funding for expanded gang crime enforcement.

 “Parker has been caught red-handed,” Blankinship concluded. “For public safety’s sake, Houston’s voters are strongly advised to not become victims of Annise Parker’s false and intentionally misleading statements.”

The Battle Over Public Safety In The Race For Mayor Of Houston November 19, 2009

The Houston Police Officers Union has endorsed Gene Locke in the race for Mayor of  Houston, and today  HPOU held a news conference to talk about why police officers believe that Locke would do a better job on the issue of  public safety.

The news conference also featured Stephanie Abernethy, the  widow of  slain HPD officer  Tim Abernethy.

2 On the Beat is assigned to a different story, but I have posted the groups news release below.  We are also waiting on a statement from the Annise Parker for Mayor campaign.

HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS SAY THAT ANNISE PARKER HAS LOST THEIR SUPPORT AND CONFIDENCE

 

Houston, TX–The Houston Police Officers’ Union (HPOU) today criticized mayoral candidate Annise Parker and reiterated their support of Gene Locke, saying that Locke is the one who will be tough on crime and has a real plan to make Houston’s neighborhoods safer.

Gary Blankinship, president of the 5,000-plus member Houston Police Officers’ Union stated, “Our organization screened all the candidates and found Gene Locke to be, without equivocation, the only candidate to make the commitment to increase officers on the streets of our city and in the investigative divisions so that HPD officers can do a better job of protecting the people of Houston.

“By comparison, Annise Parker supports status quo. Her ill-advised positions on public safety embrace the kind of soft-on-crime approach that poses a threat to our families and neighborhoods,” continued Blankinship. “Now is not the time to turn back the clock to the 1980s, when police academies were halted and crime began to skyrocket, and our officers battled not just criminals, but a staffing shortage and lack of support from City Hall.”

Although HPOU has endorsed Parker in her previous campaigns, she has on several occasions been on the opposite side of Houston Police.

As a member of the City Council, Parker voted against adding a permanent anti-gang task force in every HPD substation[i].

In addition, Parker has publicly stated that if elected mayor she will “take apart the police department”[ii] and that Houston police officers are merely “report-takers and ticket-writers….not crime-solvers.”[iii] The irony of her position is that if we follow her plan and do nothing, there won’t be enough officers to take the reports much less conduct follow-up investigations. 

Finally, during the endorsement screening process for the mayor’s race earlier this year, Parker made it clear that if elected mayor she would not work with HPD to put a halt to the current staffing shortage, thereby creating a dangerous public safety climate in Houston.  Ms. Parker erroneously believes HPD has adequate staffing and ignores the fact that by best accounts of the administration of HPD we are 1,400 officers understaffed.

HPD is a proud organization with men and women who are dedicated to laying down their lives for their community. Our department would take great exception to being taken apart rather than doing what Houstonians want, which is to make our department effectively expand so that we can do the job that the citizens of our city expect and need.

“Sitting idle and not expanding the department to meet our citizens’ needs to be safe is a recipe for disaster.  It is the equivalent of doing nothing,” said Blankinship.

Locke has repeatedly affirmed his support for increasing Houston’s police ranks through hiring of new cadets and adding experienced officers through lateral entry, which allows officers from other departments to bring their years of expertise to support public safety in Houston while reducing the city’s training burden. He has also advocated putting more police officers on the streets, equipping officers with advanced technology and placing more civilians in roles that do not require police officers’ extensive training and skills.

Houston Police Blast Annise Parker November 18, 2009

 

The Houston Police  Officers Union has endorsed Gene Locke for Mayor, and its members are working to help him win in the runoff. 

On Wednesday the  group released the statement below,  saying that Parker has lost the support of  police officers. 

HPOU President Gary Blankinship is scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday morning at the union’s headquarters. Locke is expected to attend along with  Stephanie Abernethy, the wife of  HPD Officer Tim Abernethy who was killed in the line of  duty in December 2008.

I am posting a news release sent to 2 On The Beat,  and after the press event  Thursday we’ll post reaction from the Parker campaign. 

HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS SAY THAT ANNISE PARKER HAS LOST THEIR SUPPORT AND CONFIDENCE

 Houston, TX–The Houston Police Officers’ Union (HPOU) today criticized mayoral candidate Annise Parker and reiterated their support of Gene Locke, saying that Locke is the one who will be tough on crime and has a real plan to make Houston’s neighborhoods safer.

Gary Blankinship, president of the 5,000-plus member Houston Police Officers’ Union stated, “Our organization screened all the candidates and found Gene Locke to be, without equivocation, the only candidate to make the commitment to increase officers on the streets of our city and in the investigative divisions so that HPD officers can do a better job of protecting the people of Houston.

“By comparison, Annise Parker supports status quo. Her ill-advised positions on public safety embrace the kind of soft-on-crime approach that poses a threat to our families and neighborhoods,” continued Blankinship. “Now is not the time to turn back the clock to the 1980s, when police academies were halted and crime began to skyrocket, and our officers battled not just criminals, but a staffing shortage and lack of support from City Hall.”

Although HPOU has endorsed Parker in her previous campaigns, she has on several occasions been on the opposite side of Houston Police.

As a member of the City Council, Parker voted against adding a permanent anti-gang task force in every HPD substation[i].

In addition, Parker has publicly stated that if elected mayor she will “take apart the police department”[ii] and that Houston police officers are merely “report-takers and ticket-writers….not crime-solvers.”[iii] The irony of her position is that if we follow her plan and do nothing, there won’t be enough officers to take the reports much less conduct follow-up investigations. 

Finally, during the endorsement screening process for the mayor’s race earlier this year, Parker made it clear that if elected mayor she would not work with HPD to put a halt to the current staffing shortage, thereby creating a dangerous public safety climate in Houston.  Ms. Parker erroneously believes HPD has adequate staffing and ignores the fact that by best accounts of the administration of HPD we are 1,400 officers understaffed.

HPD is a proud organization with men and women who are dedicated to laying down their lives for their community. Our department would take great exception to being taken apart rather than doing what Houstonians want, which is to make our department effectively expand so that we can do the job that the citizens of our city expect and need.

“Sitting idle and not expanding the department to meet our citizens’ needs to be safe is a recipe for disaster.  It is the equivalent of doing nothing,” said Blankinship.

Locke has repeatedly affirmed his support for increasing Houston’s police ranks through hiring of new cadets and adding experienced officers through lateral entry, which allows officers from other departments to bring their years of expertise to support public safety in Houston while reducing the city’s training burden. He has also advocated putting more police officers on the streets, equipping officers with advanced technology and placing more civilians in roles that do not require police officers’ extensive training and skills.

 

– 30 –

---

[i] City Council Minutes, June 23, 1998

[ii] KPRC “Beyond the Headlines,” aired September 27, 2009

[iii] KROI 92.1 radio debate, September 26, 2009

PAID POLITICAL AD BY THE HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS’ UNION

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

Gene Locke and The Houston Police Officers Union November 6, 2009

With the runoff election gearing up, Houston Mayoral candidate Gene Locke spent part of  Thursday talking with members of the Houston Police Officers Union.

HPOU endorsed Locke for Mayor, and several women who lost their officer/husbands in the line of   duty are also lending their support to his campaign.

On Thursday, Locke listened to Stephanie Abernethy, the widow of  slain officer Timothy Abernethy. 

You can learn more about his career and service:  http://www.odmp.org/officer/19692-police-officer-timothy-scott-abernethy

Locke also spoke with Joslyn Johnson, the widow of  slain officer Rodney Johnson:  http://www.odmp.org/officer/18510-officer-rodney-joseph-johnson

They talked about the events leading up to their husbands’ deaths, and whether HPD  could do anything  in the future to prevent officers from being killed in the line of duty, especially when they are working without backup.

2 On The Beat will try to get  more information about this meeting and post it later.

Police Officers Union Targets Voters For Gene Locke October 27, 2009

The Houston Police Officers Union has endorsed Gene Locke for Mayor, and now it is sending nearly ninety  thousand direct mail pieces to voters in hopes of boosting Locke’s chances on election day.

The flyers tout Locke as the only candidate who has a strong  plan for public safety issues in the city of  Houston.

HPOU executive director Mark Clark told me that the mail pieces are aimed at independent and republican voters.

The two page mail piece that  you  see here is already hitting mailboxes throughout the city of  Houston, but HPOU has plans to send a second piece before election day.

At this point, Locke is fighting to  make the runoff.   No candidate is predicted to win it all on election day.

Every vote counts, and it never hurts to be known as the candidate that  police officers believe is the strongest on public safety issues.

Locke has also been endorsed by the Houston Professional Firefighters Association.