The President`s Message - Houston Police Officers Union

Transcription

HPOU
Strength
Unity
Through
Texas’ Largest Police Union
The Publication of the Houston Police Officer s’ Union
www.HPOU.org
Vo l . X X X I X N o . 6
June 2013
The President’s Message
Successful Lobbying
Prevails – Pension
Bills Get Nowhere;
Neither Do Other
Ray Hunt
Bad Police Bills
The end of the 83rd regular session of the Texas Legislature has
come and the Houston Police Officers’ Union was able to protect the
interests of working police officers.
There was a heavy interest this session in police pension and a number
of bills were filled that, if passed, would have dramatically changed
our earned pension benefits. This includes the earned pension for all
HPD officers, not just those in DROP. The good news is that we were
able to intervene early and often with our friends in the Legislature
and they never wavered in their support of Houston police officers.
Alisha Will poses with son Kevin S. Will Jr. at the Texas Peace Officers’ Memorial on
the grounds of the Capitol Complex in Austin. To the right of Mrs. Will is the name of
her husband, Officer Kevin S. Will, who died in the line of duty on May 29, 2011. This
picture was taken on May 6 during ceremonies on the Capitol grounds honoring fallen
law enforcement officers throughout Texas. GARY HICKS PHOTO
Houston Police Officers’ Union
1600 State Street
Houston, Texas 77007
NON-PROFIT ORG.
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PAID
Houston, Texas
Permit No. 7227
Another reason for our success was that we banded together with
all other police labor organizations in the state of Texas to make
absolutely sure we all looked out for each other on earned pension
issues for all police officers.
Unified Front
Our organization met and worked on a weekly basis with the Dallas
Police Association, Arlington Police Association, Texas Municipal
Police Association, Houston Police Retired Officers’ Association,
Texas Department of Public Safety Association, and others to ensure
that we were all on the same page with one another regarding
legislation that could impact our pensions.
Additionally, our representative, HPOU Executive Director Mark
Clark, met with the lobbying groups who were representing the various
defined benefit pension funds around the state, including the Houston
Police Officers’ Pension System (HPOPS), in order to help coordinate
various strategic activities related to our coordinated message to law
makers to protect all police officers’ earned pension benefit.
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Send Correspondence and Address Changes (include mailing label)
To: BADGE & GUN 1600 State Street Houston, TX 77007. Telephone: 713-237-0282.
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It is also important to note that we had tremendous support from the
Harris County legislative delegation, who helped carry our water in
private legislative caucus meetings as well as publicly in committee hearings.
Continues on Page 16
HPOU Board of Directors
Executive Board
Ray Hunt
President
(281) 701-5428
president@hpou.org
Doug Griffith
1st Vice-President
(713) 501-4991
first_vp@hpou.org
Joseph Gamaldi
2nd Vice-President
(832) 283-9492
second_vp@hpou.org
Joseph Castaneda
Secretary
(281) 798-5051
secretary@hpou.org
Board Members
J.G. Garza
Director 1
(832) 875-1377
position1@hpou.org
Gary Hicks
Director 2
(832) 368-6283
position2@hpou.org
Jeff Wagner
Director 3
(832) 512-8732
position3@hpou.org
Robert Breiding
Director 4
(713) 854-6391
position4@hpou.org
Jason Countryman
Director 5
(832) 928-6336
position5@hpou.org
Terry Wolfe
Director 6
(832) 341-0165
position6@hpou.org
Don Egdorf
Director 7
(713) 240-6033
position7@hpou.org
Bubba Caldwell
Director 8
(281) 924-4498
position8@hpou.org
Will Reiser
Director 9
(281) 923-1626
position9@hpou.org
Rosalinda Ybanez, Timothy Whitaker
Rebecca Dallas
O.J. Latin
Tom Hayes
Robert Sandoval
Lance Gibson
Director 11
Director 10
Director 12
Director 15
Director 16
Director 14
Director 13
(832) 293-1495
(832) 419-9589
(832) 606-9502
(281) 726-1599
(281) 924-3015
(281) 924-6369
(281) 658-2974
position10@hpou.org position11@hpou.org position12@hpou.org position13@hpou.org position14@hpou.org position15@hpou.org position16@hpou.org
Luis Menendez-Sierra
Bill Booth
Terry Seagler
John Yencha
Director 20
Director 17
Director 18
Director 19
(832) 513-5110
(281) 924-3016
(832) 494-8244
(832) 731-9361
position17@hpou.org position18@hpou.org position19@hpou.org position20@hpou.org
Mark Clark
Executive Director
(832) 200-3434
executive_director@hpou.org
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Tim Butler
Treasurer
(713) 204-4372
tbutler@hpou.org
Joslyn Johnson
Randy Upton
Parliamentarian
Sergeant at Arms
(832) 642-9899
(281) 352-6236
parliamentarian@hpou.org sergeant_atarms@hpou.org
Cole Lester
Dana Hitzman
Assistant Secretary 2nd Assistant Secretary
(281) 924-3003
(832) 731-7501
assistant_secretary@hpou.org assistant_secretary@hpou.org
Editorial Page
BADGE&GUN Police Week recognized
Voice of the Houston Police Officers’ Union
Published monthly at no subscription charge
by the:
Houston Police Officers’ Union
1600 State Street, Houston, TX 77007
*\ÊnÎÓÓääÎ{ääÊUÊ/ÊvÀii\Ê£nään{È££ÈÇ
Fax: 832-200-3470
E-mail: thayes@policetrust.com
Website address: www.HPOU.org
Legal Department: 832-200-3420
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Badge & Gun is the official publication of the
Houston Police Officers’ Union. Badge & Gun is
published monthly under the supervision of its
Board of Directors. However, opinions expressed
by individual Board members or any other writer
in this publication do not necessarily reflect the
opinion of the entire Board of Directors. Editorial
submissions are welcomed and encouraged.
All submissions must be received by the 7th of
the month.
HPD for having the officers
and civilian leadership worth
of special recognition
TR ADITIONALLY, POLICE OFFICERS KEEP ON KEEPING ON when striving for excellence
while performing their often dangerous duties by telling themselves that “we’re just doing our job.”
If ever a regularly scheduled series of events celebrated those feelings, Police Week certainly just did
that job, too.
Police officers may kid themselves by shunning personal glory or even the slightest recognition beyond
a “thank you,” but the annual awards ceremony sponsored by the Houston Police Foundation served
to toot the awesome horn of the Houston Police Department. The recognitions for excellent at all
levels and in all areas, both commissioned and civilian, offered appropriate encouragement to everyone.
The Badge & Gun takes great pleasure in this issue in printing the citations and, when not involving
undercover operations, pictures of the honorees taken by HPD photographer Matt Fowler.
There also were special ceremonies in both Austin on the grounds of the state capitol and in Washington
on the grounds of our nation’s capitol. They involved encouraging words from President Obama and,
ADVERTISEMENT IN THE BADGE & in Austin, from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, both of whom were elaborate in their praise of the jobs
GUN DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, performed by law enforcement officers from thousands of police agencies from every corner of
A WARRANTY OR A GUARANTEE BY
our nation.
THE UNION.
POSTMASTER:
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Badge & Gun
1600 State Street
Houston, TX 77007
Fax: 832-200-3470
Mayor Annise Parker and Police Chief Charles McClelland presided over the annual Police Memorial
service paying special tribute to the 112 HPD officers who died in the line of duty, bravely giving
their lives for the citizens of Houston. The event was moved inside the Fonde Recreation Center due
to inclement weather. Chief McClelland was especially eloquent when he described the dangerous
job of a Houston police officer. “It’s easy to be brave when you’re in a safe place,” McClelland said,
underscoring the point that HPD officers put themselves in harm’s way and away from “safe places”
every day they go on the job.
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst led the Austin tributes to officers earlier in the month in which President
John F. Kennedy designated one week to honor police officers for their work protecting their people.
Dewhurst paid a special tribute to Houston Officer Kevin Will, who died in the line of duty on May 29,
2011. Will’s name was added to the Texas Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on the capital grounds.
Important Numbers
ATO: 713-223-4ATO
Badge & Gun: 832-200-3400
HPOU Offices: 832-200-3400
1-800-846-1167
Insurance Fax: 832-200-3470
Legal Services: 832-200-3420
Legal Fax: 832-200-3426
email: info@hpou.org
www.hpou.org
In Washington, it was truly a family affair. The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO)
held its 20th annual NAPO Top Cops Awards Ceremony. This year NAPO honored what it called
one of the Department’s true “Blue Blooded” families. Three of them were involved in a now very
noteworthy event in which the bad guy was effectively thwarted. Retired Senior Police Officer Gary
Blankinship (former HPOU president and now U. S. Marshal-designate) performed what NAPO
readily termed a “top cop” duty, along with his daughter, Officer Nikki Blankinship-Reeves and
his son-in-law, Officer Mikey LaReau (husband of HPOU’s Krystal Blankinship LaReau). This
blue-blooded family group was Houston’s proud edition to this year’s Top Cops. Congratulations for
this well-deserved honor.
The entire Police Week offered solid proof that the Houston Police Department has a force of officers,
5,329 strong, that “just do their jobs” – but do that job well every day!
Houston Police Week Award Winners
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Captain Carl Driskell joined the department in 1975 and was assigned to
the Northeast Division where he adapted to any assignment or situation.
In 1981 he promoted to sergeant and served at the Park Place Substation
and later with Juvenile Division where he gained valuable investigative
experience. After only 9 ½ years on the department, Sergeant Driskell
promoted to lieutenant. While assigned to North Shepherd Division,
he managed the Tactical Unit, which at that time worked street level
narcotics. Under his leadership the Tactical Unit was recognized as one
of the top units in the city. His street level narcotics experience was
instrumental in his selection to transfer to Narcotics Division where
he spent ten years working in a variety of assignments. On March 12,
2005, he was promoted to captain. As a captain he has been assigned to
Northwest, Traffic Enforcement and the Airport Divisions. Through his
capable leadership, he has inspired the personnel of all ranks who serve
with him to consistently perform in an exemplary manner.
Lieutenant Jose Barrera has honorably served the Houston Police
Department and the citizens of Houston for almost 39 years and still
comes to work every day displaying a positive, energetic, dedicated
attitude to do everything possible to make the department function
better and assist others in the fulfillment of their duties. Assigned
to Eastside Division since 1993, he also served as a Field Training
Supervisor for a number of years, dedicating himself to impart
knowledge and skills to young officers. In addition to Eastside Division,
Lieutenant Barrera has served the department at the Southeast, Jail,
Special Operations, Property and Supply, Auto Theft and Internal
Affairs Division. He has exemplified the highest standards of service to
the department and citizens of Houston by demonstrating the highest
degree of dedication, diligence, honor and integrity.
Lieutenant Murray Smith joined the Houston Police Department in
1980 and worked as an FTO on night shift. In 1985 he promoted to
sergeant and was assigned first to the Jail Division and then Operations
Support Division. Finding a lack of data on police pursuits, he re-wrote
the General Order and created the police pursuit form. As an attorney, he
was assigned to the Office of General Counsel in 1987, where he became
the first director of Legal Services in 1989. In 1990, Sergeant Smith
promoted to Lieutenant and transferred to the Homicide Division. In
the last 22 years, Lieutenant Smith has supervised over 1000 murder
and other high profile investigations. He continued to author bills that
became law, including one allowing officers to make warrantless arrests
after a felony confession. He developed the departmental response to
kidnapping, writing the manual and teaching a three day class on the
crime. Almost all of Lieutenant Smith’s innovations have been selfinitiated; he saw a need and addressed it.
Officer Ernest White is assigned to the Traffic Enforcement Division
and has served the department for 29 years. Throughout his career,
Officer White focused on ensuring the safety of the motoring public.
In keeping with his mission to save lives and improve roadway safety,
Officer White became one of the first officers in the department to
obtain Drug Evaluation and Classification training and certification
as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). Officer White also became a
DRE Instructor, training officers to recognize various forms of driver
impairment. On his own, Officer White attended a Motor Carrier Safety
School anticipating that the department would someday create a Truck
Enforcement Unit. When, in 1999, the order to create such a unit was
given, Officer White embraced the multitude of challenges involved in
its creation. His participation ensured that the public could count on the
HPD to address the serious issue of serious injury and fatality accidents
involving commercial trucks.
INVESTIGATIVE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR
Sergeant Clemente Reyna, who investigates allegations of police criminal conduct and corruption, received information that two officers were
transporting money and confiscating illegal narcotics and delivering them to a civilian subject. Sergeant Reyna developed a plan to lead the
suspects to believe he was involved in illegal activity and he requested the assistance of an undercover narcotics officer to join him in frequenting
a club managed by the civilian subject. The undercover officer convinced the civilian subject that she worked for Sergeant Reyna in transporting
narcotics and that their relationship was not as lucrative as it should be. The civilian subject suggested stealing Sergeant Reyna’s narcotics by using
the corrupt officers to stage a traffic stop and seize the drugs. On July 31, 2012, IAD Proactive Unit engaged in a covert operation involving the
citizen and the two officers engaging in the theft of the narcotics and arrested them.
SPECIALIZED OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Officer Oscar Gamez was the first officer assigned to Burglary and Theft Metal Theft Unit. He was instrumental in all aspects of revising the City
Ordinance affecting metal recycling businesses and in the revisions of the Texas State Law regulating these companies. Officer Gamez was solely
responsible for inspecting 128 scrap metal businesses located in Houston. He is considered the foremost authority on metal theft investigations
in the city and is routinely called upon for assistance and advice by police agencies throughout Texas. In addition to regulating the scrap metal
businesses, Officer Gamez investigated 150 metal theft incidents, of which 115 were cleared by arrest. He personally made 49 arrests, filed 115
charges and recovered over $198,000 in stolen metal property.
UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATOR OF THE YEAR
Officer Moises Zamora has been assigned to the Narcotics Division since 2009 and immediately displayed the skills and determination to become
an outstanding undercover officer. In 2012 his hard work and investigative skill produced 74 arrests in which 75 felony and 11 misdemeanor
charges were filed. His cases resulted in the seizure of approximately $4,651,000 worth of drugs including more than 15,000 grams of powder
cocaine, 17,000 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 86,000 grams of marijuana, and an assortment of other drugs, as well as $794,484 in US
currency, 20 handguns, nine assault rifles and three shotguns. Officer Zamora’s investigative skills are top notch and his ability to recruit and work
confidential informants equals or surpasses that of many much more experienced officers.
CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATIVE /
PARA-PROFESSIONAL
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Senior Office Assistant Yolanda Davis is currently serving as the
secretary to the Juvenile Division, having previously served as a Houston
Police Officer. In April 2012, the Juvenile Sex Crimes Unit was notified
their portion of the department’s Sexual Assault Kit Audit consisted
of over 3,000 cases, each requiring extensive research. In addition to
fulfilling her regular duties, Mrs. Davis assisted in reviewing each
offense for detailed information and determining the statute of
limitations. She also assisted in identifying data fields to be captured in
databases and previewed data reports for logistics as they applied to the
project. The project is ongoing, however without Mrs. Davis’
dedication and teamwork, the startup phases would have been extended,
delaying decisions the department needed to make about sexual assault
kit testing.
CIVILIAN PROFESSIONAL
Administration Manager John Cantu serves as the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) Coordinator for the
department. ISO International Standards ensure that products and
services are safe, reliable and of good quality. For business, they are
strategic tools that reduce costs by minimizing waste and errors and
increase productivity. Mr. Cantu, in working with division commanders
assigned to the Emergency Communications and Property Divisions,
was the most critical person in helping the department attain ISO
certification for both divisions. No other law enforcement in the
United States has simultaneously attained and maintained ISO
certification for two distinct divisions within a police department. Under
the guidance of Mr. Cantu, the department has repeatedly demonstrated
compliance with standards from audits conducted by independent
licensed ISO inspectors.
DRT/CSO OF THE YEAR
Officer John Ly, a DRT officer with Southwest Division, was assigned
to inspect a home reported to be in an unlivable condition and a
neighborhood health hazard. When he and his sergeant went to the
home, they found it infested with rodents and insects, reeking with rat
urine. Neighbors told Officer Ly they had called everyone in the city they
could think of for six months, with no results. Within two days Officer
Ly had located the owner and, after writing him several citations, began
working with him to clean up the property. Within a month all the pests
had been exterminated and reconstruction had begun on the house. By
meeting with the owner weekly, Officer Ly provided the owner with
needed support during an overwhelming project.
CIVILIAN MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Deputy Director David Morgan has overseen the development and
implementation of two of the largest and most expensive technology
projects in the department’s history. These two projects are the Record
Management System (RMS) and the new public safety radio system. The
RMS project replaces a 30 year old antiquated software application that
controls almost all of the department’s data and information regarding
operations and cases. The radio project replaces an outdated analog
system with a modern digital system that tremendously increases
interoperability between agencies and increases officer safety. These
projects are in the process of final implementation, and would not
be at this stage without Mr. Morgan’s management skills, technical
knowledge and wisdom in dealing with contractors and other
city departments.
FTO OF THE YEAR
Officer Kenneth Strange had been a Field Training Officer for less than
a year when he and his Probationary Police Officer (PPO) of eight days
were notified about a suspect shooting at officers as he fled a crime scene
in a stolen car. Officer Strange directed his PPO to drive to a location
where they could intercept the suspect. He pointed out the threats the
suspect posed and counseled him on what to do next. Officer Strange
used critical incident training techniques, assisting the young officer
with the skills necessary to remain calm and controlled. Finally, the
suspect slammed directly into several cars stopped at a signal light.
As Officer Strange attempted to determine the suspect’s remaining
threat to citizens and officers from the passenger side of the suspect’s
vehicle, PPO Peverill demonstrated the value of his FTO’s training by
advising approaching officers calmly and clearly where Officer Strange
was, reducing the danger of cross fire.
CIVILIAN TECHNICAL
Lois Gibson is the only Police Forensic Sketch Artist for the
department and her work is an invaluable tool for investigators. In
2012 her sketches helped to identify 21 suspects and cleared 62 cases.
Ms. Gibson has sketched a facial reconstruction of the skull of a
murdered woman and the portrait of a woman burned to death in
Brazoria County and in both cases the families were able to identify
their loved ones. Ms. Gibson has a talent and empathy allowing her
to connect with victims of crime and she is able to get them to recall
information that is needed to help find the suspect(s). Ms. Gibson is an
asset to the department. The skills that she uses to diligently perform
her job for the department result in a unique tool to help pursue justice
for the victims.
MID-MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Lieutenant Craig Williams has been assigned to the Gang Division
for three years with the responsibility for proactive investigations and
coordination with the Houston Area Multiple Agency Gang Task
Force. He has developed and led his personnel with demonstrated
improvement each year. As a result, 2012 was a record setting year in
almost every category for HPD Gang Division Proactive Investigations,
with 12 Drug Trafficking Organizations identified and 12 disrupted/
dismantled, record amounts of drugs and cash seized and 775 persons
arrested. The Proactive Unit also completed a two year investigation
into a gang involved with human smuggling and narcotics trafficking,
concluded an investigation into a major check washing ring and worked
to combat gang violence and murders, resulting in a 21% reduction of
gang murders.
PATROL SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR
Sergeant Mark Miller serves as patrol supervisor, Field Training Sergeant,
and the supervisor of the Hot Spot unit for the Westside Division.
Concerned by bank robberies in his area, Sergeant Miller contacted the
vendor supplying tracking units to participating banks. He was able to
have the tracking application loaded on his and his officers’ cell phones
and made sure his team was trained to use the application. When one
of the banks was later robbed, Sergeant Miller tracked the fleeing
suspects on his cell phone, guiding units to their vehicle. Sergeant Miller
managed the vehicle pursuit that followed, and when the suspects
crashed and fled on foot, he and his team were able to arrest them.
The safe, quick arrest of three dangerous suspects was possible due to
Sergeant Miller’s proactive efforts before the crime and his professional
management during the event.
REACTIVE INVESTIGATOR OF THE YEAR
After a wrecker driver was killed, investigators had nothing more
than shell casings and a witness who saw three men leave in a silver
Mustang. Years later, a Crime Stoppers tip lead to an arrest in a different
murder case. The tip also alleged the suspect had killed a
wrecker driver. Assigned the case, Officer Michael Burrow and his
partner, Sergeant Richard Rodriguez, located the victim’s four year
old tow log and noted he had towed the suspect’s sister’s car the day
of the murder. They interviewed the suspect’s family and friends who
admitted that he had bragged about killing a wrecker driver. Eye
witnesses identified the other two suspects. Officer Burrow and his
partner found an offense report detailing the suspect’s arrest for a
shooting that left shell casings that were compared to the casings found
at the murder scene. The firearms lab confirmed that the casing from
both scenes came from the same pistol. With overwhelming evidence,
they obtained Capital Murder charges on the three suspects.
MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Captain Michael Graham was assigned to the Criminal Intelligence
Division in June 2008, where he continues to provide and produce
the best intelligence for the department. Under his leadership CID
has increased the production of information and intelligence bulletins,
assessments and alerts by more than 30%. Captain Graham was instrumental in organizing regional law enforcement participation in an information sharing initiative and was able, through the UASI Information
and Intelligence Sharing Committee, which he co-chairs, to bring over
two million dollars in grant monies to the region for Homeland Security
projects including five grant funded analysts. He has also led the planning, coordinating and documenting of law enforcement security
efforts for many events, utilizing, for the first time, the Department of
Homeland Security’s National Incident Management System (Incident
Command) process. Captain Graham’s commitment has made the
Houston region and the nation safer.
SENIOR POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Officer Hector Ramirez was off-duty shopping with his wife and
young daughter in a cell phone store when he noticed a man with a
pistol approaching the store’s front door. As the man entered the store,
pointing his gun at the customers, Officer Ramirez drew his duty
weapon, alerting his family and the customers to take cover. Fearing
for their safety and his, Officer Ramirez discharged his weapon at the
suspect. As he fired, he saw a second suspect pointing a gun at him.
Officer Ramirez fired at the second suspect, who fled, and turned back
to the first suspect, who shot at the officer. Officer Ramirez returned
fire and this suspect also ran. Officer Ramirez checked to insure no
one was injured, asking one customer to call 911, and went to the
front of the store where he saw one suspect returning. Officer Ramirez
fired once more at the suspect, who fled. Officer Ramirez’ quick
thinking and preparedness saved many lives and deterred the suspects from
causing harm to the innocent bystanders.
INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR
Officer Erik ter Meulen, assigned to the Narcotics Division as an
instructor, has made an incredible impact on officer safety by training
officers to work undercover, one of the most dangerous assignments in
law enforcement. He has designed and taught several courses to increase
officer safety and awareness such as warrant execution, active shooter,
undercover weapons and undercover vehicle tactics. Many courses
he has helped develop have been taught department wide, providing
tactical training and a uniform standard that allows officers to safely
work together during enforcement operations. Not only is Officer
ter Meulen consulted on all high risk narcotics warrants, he actively
participates in narcotics raids on a consistent basis. Many of the
officers he has trained who were involved in shootings have testified
his training was one of the major reasons they have survived their
armed confrontations.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Officer Muzaffar Siddiqi’s primary responsibility is to seek, establish
and maintain a good working relationship with the numerous and
diverse Muslim and Middle Eastern communities within Houston. He
has been successful in opening the lines of communication with various
groups and organizations in the Muslim community, creating increased
trust and confidence in the police, which has been instrumental in
preventing and solving crimes. During times of protest, social,
cultural or religious related unrest or tension, Officer Siddiqi
increases his availability and exposure in the community to reassure
residents, bridge gaps of communication and provide links to resources
to help those in need. Officer Siddiqi’s skill, ability and expertise in
gathering and utilizing knowledge about current events and changing
social, religious and political issues was clearly evident in 2012.
PROACTIVE INVESTIGATOR
OF THE YEAR
As a member of the Asian Organized Crime Task Force in the Major
Offenders Division, Officer Syed Bukhari (now a Sergeant) was
assigned to crack down on crimes committed by Asian suspects. In one
incident Sergeant Bukhari identified, arrested, and charged two Chinese
nationals who were in possession of 81 gift cards that were encoded with
stolen credit card numbers. The credit card numbers belonged to victims
who live abroad but had visited the United States. Through his tenacity
and determination, Sergeant Bukhari was able to track down the victims
who live half the world away and speak different languages. The FBI
offices in Montana and Louisiana had long been after these two suspects
and will now be able to bring Federal charges against them.
CIVILIAN SKILLED SERVICE
Senior Aircraft Mechanic Thanh Nguyen’s abilities and
knowledge about the operation of the Air Support Division and its
aircraft are unmatched. He has undertaken the critical, tedious, time
consuming tasks of monitoring the various changes in aircraft
manufacturers’ maintenance procedures and schedules and
complying with strict Federal Aviation Administration regulations
and other governing agencies guidelines. Both are essential to the safe
operation of the Air Support Division and Senior Aircraft Mechanic
Nguyen completes them with virtually no need for supervision.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
On his eighth day as a probationary officer, Officer William Peverill
and his Field Training Officer (FTO), Kenneth Strange, were
notified of a suspect shooting at officers as he fled a crime scene in a
stolen car. With the guidance of his FTO, Officer Peverill drove to a
location to intercept the fleeing suspect. After they joined the pursuit, the
suspect suddenly stopped and backed toward pursuing officers, firing his
weapon. Officer Peverill, maintaining proper cover behind his vehicle,
discharged his weapon at the suspect. The suspect again fled, crashing
into multiple vehicles that blocked his path before finally coming to a
stop. Realizing citizens were in danger, officers immediately approached
the suspect’s car. Officer Peverill advised other responding officers that
Officer Strange was on the passenger side of the vehicle so there would
be no danger of cross fire to his FTO and approaching officers. Officer
Peverill responded calmly, professionally and safely during his first
hostile engagement.
CIT OFFICER OF THE YEAR
While on patrol, Officer Rafael Calles encountered a distraught man
in the South Central Division parking lot. The man stated that he was
depressed and needed psychiatric help. Officer Calles learned the man
had a history of violence and rage and felt he was losing touch with his
actions. Believing the man needed immediate psychological assistance,
Officer Calles transported him to the Ben Taub Neuropsychiatric
Center, establishing a rapport with the man on the way. The man told
Officer Calles that his original intention was to shoot and kill the first
police officer he saw, then wait for other officers to arrive and commit
suicide by cop. He informed Officer Calles that he had a gun, but threw
it in the bushes when Officer Calles arrived. The man thanked Officer
Calles for taking the time to listen to his problems and for showing
compassion to his needs.
PATROL OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Officer Samuel Wunderlich, serving as a patrol officer and FTO assigned
to the Westside Division Hot Spot Unit, participated in multiple
felony arrests in 2012, including one incident where he used a special
application on his phone to learn of a bank robbery in progress before
dispatch even received the hold-up alarm. He advised his sergeant and
headed toward the scene, locating the suspects’ vehicle, which he and
another unit pursued. Officer Wunderlich allowed the other unit to take
lead position, while he did a textbook job of operating the radio and
calling the chase. Officer Wunderlich’s ability to use technology and
good patrol skills assisted in the arrest of three dangerous suspects. In
addition to this case and five others, he has identified several vehicles
stolen during violent aggravated robberies, resulting in the suspects
being arrested and charged.
ADMINISTRATIVE CLASSIFIED
Sergeant Daniel Cain provides on-going and special assistance as
the Administrative Sergeant for the Staff Services Command to six
divisions and the Fleet Unit. Sergeant Cain assisted the Jail Division
with updating several of their databases and related documents/forms.
He was the principal architect and project leader in the development
and launch of the Personal Data Adjuster application which allows
changes to an employee’s personal or professional information made
in the PDA to be reflected in SAP, PRE and LMS within 24 hours.
Sergeant Cain was vitally instrumental in coordinating and supervising
the three promotional processes for Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain in
2012, as well as rewriting the Excel program for the spreadsheet used by
the Personnel Allocation Committee. Sergeant Cain has distinguished
himself through his personal initiative, outstanding performance and
exceptional service.
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Houston Police Week
The presentation of the colors was the beginning of another
moving ceremony which featured comments by Mayor Annise
Parker and Police Chief Charles “Chuck” McClelland.
ALL PHOTOS BY GARY HICKS
Mayor Annise Parker paid tribute
to fallen officers and reiterated her
support for the brave officers of the
Houston Police Department. Chief
McClelland told those present, “It
is easy to be brave when you’re in a
safe place.” It was his heartfelt way
of pointing out that HPD officers
know well what it’s like to be in
unsafe situations in order to keep
Houston safe for its citizens.
Rarely does the HPD Command Staff get together to pose for a team picture. But
the special May 10 ceremony was one of those rare occasions set up by HPOU
photographer Gary Hicks. The staff is, left to right, Regina Woolfolk (Deputy Director
of Public Affairs), Larry Yium (Deputy Director of Planning), Assistant Chief Dan
Perales, Assistant Chief M. C. Provost, Assistant Chief Mark Curran, Police Chief
Charles “Chuck” McClelland, Assistant Chief Charley Vasquez, Executive Assistant
Chief Martha Montalvo, Executive Assistant Chief Tim Oettmeier, Assistant Chief J.
H. Chen, Assistant Chief M. A. Eisenman, Assistant Chief D. R. McKinney, Executive
Assistant Chief M. A. Dirden, Assistant Chief G. T. Buenik, Executive Assistant Chief
K. A. Munden, Assistant Chief M. D. Slinkard and Assistant Chief Mary Lentschke.
Houston Police Week
On Aug. 2, 1975 a freeway driver ignored flashing lights and flares and ran over and killed HPD
Officer Francis Eddie Wright. At HPD’s May 10 memorial ceremony at the Fonde Recreation Center,
members of Wright’s surviving family demonstrated their undying love for their family member,
Officer Wright. It might be the largest family contingent to ever appear at this annual event to
demonstrate perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of Houston’s brave officers.
Many members of Officer Wright’s family wore commemorative
T shirts like this one, which recounts the brave officer’s End
of Watch.
Due to wet grounds at the Houston Police Memorial as well
as the possibility of rain, the May 10 ceremonies honoring
the 112 Houston officers who made the ultimate sacrifice
was moved to the Fonde Recreation Center near the Houston
Police Officers Union. Buses transported several hundred
participants and family members.
CIVILIAN PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Jail Attendant Gwendolyn McGowan is assigned to the Jail Division and
operates the AFIS (fingerprint) machine. Every prisoner arriving in the
jail must be processed on this machine. Despite being on her feet all
night Jail Attendant McGowan will not stop, sometimes refusing breaks,
until all 20 to 50 prisoners are processed. This is all night, every night
because Jail Attendant McGowan never calls in or takes unscheduled
days off. Her work ethic is second to none and she consistently maintains
a professional, positive attitude, offering assistance to coworkers and
supervisors alike.
TACTICAL OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Officer Jennifer Kennedy, assigned to the Northeast Divisional Gang
Unit, began investigating a series of police reports that seemed to
indicate violent gang members were targeting victims at an apartment
complex. She discovered that the gang had never been documented
nor its members identified. Through her investigations, she identified a
coordinated effort among the gang members to target these victims, as
evidenced by their actions and communications on social media. As a
result, Officer Kennedy was able to charge everyone who conspired to
target the victims, with seven felony charges filed, and the identification
of 22 members of a previously undocumented gang.
CIVILIAN SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR
Technical Hardware Analyst II Jimmy Longoria’s duties as the
supervisor of the HPD Mobile Technology Shop includes supervising
In-Vehicle Technology Installations and problem repairs for all patrol,
unmarked and specialty vehicles as well as mobile and portable radio
installations and repairs. Mr. Longoria was tasked with supervising the
distribution of over 1,800 portable radios to all Investigative, Command
offices and classified personnel at 1200 Travis in a very short amount of
time. With only one month to complete the deployment and an urgent
need to get the new radios out for officers’ use, as well as recovering
old radio equipment to be used until future deployments occur, Mr.
Longoria skillfully coordinated the necessary personnel resources and
equipment deliveries and ensured that each officer receiving a new radio
was comfortable with its functionality.
PATROL OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Officer Ismael Perez, assigned to Eastside Division, has the
ability to be in the right place at the right time. Responding to a
disturbance with a weapon call, Officer Perez found a man shot in the
leg. Further investigation linked the disturbance to an active murder
case, leading to the arrest of the wounded man for Capital Murder. In
another instance, when Officer Perez responded to a robbery in progress
call, Officer Perez located the suspect’s fleeing vehicle and, along with
other officers, completed a felony traffic stop, arresting the suspect. Five
other bank robbery cases were cleared with this arrest. Officer Perez also
prevented the mauling or death of a man when he placed himself
between the man and a pit bull during a vicious animal call. After
Officer Perez was forced to shoot the animal, the man told investigators
the officer’s actions “saved my life.”
Captain Stephen Smith’s first assignment after joining the department in 1974 was at Northeast Division. He transferred to Narcotics Division in
1978 where he was a leader in investigations and seizures, being placed on special assignment with the DEA and maintaining a record for drugs
seized. After his promotion to Sergeant in 1981, he moved to Juvenile Narcotics Division, where, under his supervision, undercover officers were
placed in schools as students or employees resulting in numerous arrests. After his promotion in 1985, Lieutenant Smith was assigned to Burglary
and Theft Division and Auto Theft. Although he supervised the Auto Theft Inter-jurisdictional Task Force, which conducted many successful sting
operations, he was the lead undercover investigator in all operations. Since promoting once again in 1991, Captain Smith has served as the Division
Commander of the South Central, Narcotics (twice), Burglary and Theft, Auto Theft, Major Offenders, Juvenile and Vice Divisions. During his
38 year tenure, Captain Smith has received numerous commendations and citations for his leadership and service.
Continues from Ray Page 1
The only meaningful legislation to pass that dealt with all pension
plans was HB13 by Representative Callegari from Katy and Senator
Duncan from Lubbock. HB13 was primarily a transparency bill that was
advanced at the request of State Comptroller Susan Combs. One of the
main purposes of the bill is to require public pension funds to provide
reports and other related information on public websites. Additionally,
it requires pension boards to develop training and education programs
for trustees and administrators, and establishes ethics and conflict of
interest policies.
This bill was not a major concern for HPOPS since they were already in
compliance with the bill’s mandates.
In the end, our efforts to protect all HPD officers’ pensions worked.
Some Bad Bills
HPOU was also heavily involved in other matters in the Legislature that
would have a negative impact on the way we police.
Probably one of the most persistent legislative attempts came from
Republican legislator Bryan Hughes from Mineola. Representative
Hughes has worked closely with a representative of the Innocence
Project who also previously worked for the American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU). Their goal was to pass HB 1608 which, if it became law,
would require a police officer to be forced to obtain a search warrant in
order to get cell phone records during a criminal investigation.
Currently, an investigator on a murder scene may utilize the reasonable
suspicion standard and is able to obtain a magistrate’s order to obtain
cell phone records to facilitate the investigation. Representative Hughes
and his supporters wanted officers to obtain a warrant for the records,
which would rise to a higher standard of probable cause. The real effect
of their move would be to totally prohibit a law enforcement officer
from obtaining the records since at the outset of a serious criminal
investigation – when time is everything – rarely will an investigating
officer have more than reasonable suspicion at the crime scene.
As weird as it may seem, a significant number of very conservative
legislators signed on to and supported Representative Hughes’
legislation which would have handcuffed police investigators. Due to the
tenacity of Representative Hughes to do anything he could to pass this
bad legislation, we were forced to spend inordinate amounts of time and
effort to kill his ill-advised proposal in the legislative process.
Another legislative attempt via SB 969, SB 87 and HB 1096 was to
require police officers to video record interrogations of in-custody
suspects. This was another initiative advanced by the Innocence Project
under the belief that it would prevent false confessions. Fortunately, due
to the extensive research of HPD Homicide personnel, we were able
to show legislators that there is no case to be made in Texas to amend
current law and compel law enforcement organizations to video record
interrogations in their entirety.
Some Good Bills
The HPOU assisted in the passage of HB 45 by Dan Flynn of Van, Texas.
HB 45 will better facilitate military veterans with specialized areas of
training to be able to apply their specific training from the United States
Military to state-mandated training requirements. In our world, what
this would mean is that there may be some specialized training that
would not require a police trainee to repeat in a police academy in order
to meet basic TCLEOSE requirements.
The original idea for the bill came about via Chief Petty Officer
Chris Kyle of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Unit (SEALS), who,
once he was honorably discharged, wanted to pursue a career as a
police officer in Texas. Kyle was a highly decorated sailor who had
received extensive advanced training that exceeded anything that
TCLEOSE required of a law enforcement trainee. Kyle suggested the
possibility that the Legislature may want to do something to address the
situation, but he would still go through the required TCLEOSE basic
certification regardless.
Unfortunately, approximately four months after HB 45 was filed, Kyle
was killed by another discharged war veteran who was possibly suffering
from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Not to be deterred,
supporters of the bill pushed it forward and with the help and support
of a number of Kyle’s SEAL teammates, including HPD Senior Police
Officer Chris Nicola and his brother Mark, a former HPD officer, the
bill passed.
We were proud to assist on this bill and it became law immediately when
it was signed by Gov. Rick Perry on May 18.
Another bill that we worked on that also had a connection to the
United States Military was HB 2924 by Ken Sheets of Dallas and Sen.
Wendy Davis of Fort Worth. HB 2924 amended the military leave time
language in state civil service law that lowered the threshold from
utilizing donated time in the banks by police officers and fire
fighters who were being deployed overseas from 12 months down to
three months.
The reason this bill was necessary was that 12-month overseas
deployments in the past were standard practice, however, recent military
deployments have been between three and six months. Therefore, the
law was amended in order to allow police officers and fire fighters to be
able to use donated military release time on deployments that are less
than a year.
Other Bills
In addition to the number of bad pension bills we worked with others
to defeat, we also opposed HB 461 by Joe Menéndez of San Antonio.
HB 461 would have changed the Occupations Code to allow persons
other than peace officers to be able to work law enforcement extra
employment. We opposed the bill for obvious reasons and it was not
passed into law.
We strongly supported HB 1961 by Rep. Sylvester Turner of Houston,
a bill filed at the request of the Fraternal Order of Police, Texas
State Lodge. HB 1961 would have granted due process rights to law
enforcement officers statewide like those we have in Houston.
Unfortunately, this issue is one that is fiercely opposed by city and
county administrators who prefer to prevent their police and deputies
from having any property right to their jobs. In the end the bill did
not pass.
We opposed HB 266, HB 267 and HB 268 by Rep. Boris Miles of
Houston. All three bills were filed by Rep. Miles in response to issues
associated with the Chad Holly arrest by the Westside Tactical Team.
The bills would have increased the penalty for certain acts of Official
Oppression, create a civilian review board for the city of Houston
with subpoena power, and mandated retention required disclosure of
complaints against HPD officers. All three bills were defeated.
In closing, we had a great session as it relates to protecting the interests
of Houston police officers. Our priority was to protect and defend our
earned pension and other benefits for all police officers. I am confident
that working arm-in-arm with other police organizations and HPOPS
insured this success.
Legal Department Victories
Officer shoots at suspect
who finds way to get away
REPRESENTATION
By Carson Joachim, HPOU Shoot Team
At about 4:45 p.m. April 6 officers were doing
routine patrol when they noticed a vehicle
stopped in the middle of the road in the 4700
block of Wenda while the two occupants spoke
with teenage looking pedestrians.
The occupants were two black males. Officers
said the vehicle sat in the middle of the road
obstructing traffic for an unreasonable amount
of time, giving the officers time to check the
license and registration status of the vehicle.
They determined that the vehicle had expired
registration as of November 2012. Officers
decided to initiate a traffic stop at the time
to cite the vehicle for the violation. The
officers activated their overhead lights, at which
time the vehicle began to drive forward then
turn into the Cullen Park apartments at this
location. They then proceeded to drive
around the complex, failing to pull over for
the officers.
The suspects drove around the interior of
the complex while being followed by the
officers with their lights activated. The suspects
eventually stopped after several minutes.
As the suspects stopped, both the driver and
passenger side doors opened and the suspects
exited the vehicle. The suspect driver was
wearing a white hoodie-type sweatshirt
(unusual in light of current warm weather
conditions). He exited and began to flee south
toward a fence that surrounded the complex.
One officer bailed out, yelling at the suspect
to stop and identifying himself as a Houston
police officer while wearing his issued uniform.
The second officer went to detain the suspect
passenger, yelling the same commands. The
suspect driver jumped the fence then stopped and
turned directly toward the first officer and lifted
his white hoodie with his left hand and grabbed
a black and chrome semiautomatic pistol.
The officer told the suspect to drop the
weapon as he pursued him. The officer then
stopped and pulled out his service weapon and
took a tactical firing position as quick as he
could. The suspect driver continued to pull
the weapon out and began to point it at this
officer, ignoring his lawful commands.
Fearing for his life, the officer had no other
option but to fire at the suspect. The officer
fired one time from about 10 to 15 feet of
the suspect driver. This suspect then lost his
grip on his weapon and fled across the south
field where a black vehicle picked him up and
sped off.
The suspect’s weapon was left on the ground
on the other side of the fence. This suspect was
never found.
While the first officer was pursing the suspect
driver, the second officer tended to the suspect
passenger, who did not have the opportunity to
flee very far before he was taken into custody.
The second officer took the suspect
passenger into custody without incident. While
performing a search incident to arrest, he
recovered a cell phone and a small bag of
marijuana. He did not hear nor see the first
officer’s actions, he only heard the gunshot.
The officers put out a general broadcast to be
on the lookout for the suspect driver. They
then secured the scene and waited for backup
units to arrive.
Gang Task Force officers
Try to save suspect’s life
REPRESENTATION
By Sally Ring, Staff Legal Counsel
The Northeast Gang Task Force reported a
death in custody event just after midnight on
April 5 in the 9500 block of Peachtree.
The officers were dispatched to a robbery in
progress at this location, which appeared to
be an after-hours club/gambling house. When
the officers arrived, the suspect was observed
standing outside the house. As the officers
exited their patrol vehicles, the suspect fled
on foot behind the building and toward an
adjacent wooded area.
The officers pursued the suspect, drew their
weapons, and ordered him to stop. The
suspect complied, and lay down on the ground.
The two officers approached the suspect and
handcuffed him. When the officers tried to
stand the suspect upright, he began to cough
and wheeze in a gasping manner.
The officers immediately laid him back on
the ground and removed the handcuffs. The
suspect appeared to stop breathing at this
point. The officers administered medical aid
in the form of a sternum rub and chest
compressions until HFD arrived.
The suspect was then transported to the
hospital, where he was reported “brain dead”
and not expected to survive.
One suspect arrested
in April 10 incident
REPRESENTATION
An officer-involved shooting took place about
3:30 a.m. April 10 in the 4700 block of Allen
Street in the Central District while six officers
were working an extra job at a nightclub.
It was Tuesday night, which is known as
“Urban Nights” at this nightclub, drawing a
large number of patrons and increasing the
number of BMVs in the area. As such, the
officers canvass the area during the extra job
looking for suspicious vehicles and persons.
On this night, officers noticed the suspect’s
late model grey Dodge Charger parked in an
adjacent parking lot with the lights off and
SERVING THE ALARM NEEDS
OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS
Keith Margavio
Continues from Ray Page 16
The session ended on Monday, May 27th and the governor immediately
called legislators back in special session to deal with redistricting issues.
We will continue to monitor the special session and keep our presence
in Austin to make absolutely sure that HPD officers and their families
are protected from any harm.
Thanks to all of you who provided information during this session that
assisted us greatly and a huge thanks to all who give to our Political
Action Committee (PAC).
not entering the club. Officers approached to
determine the suspect’s intent for being there.
Officers flashed a light in the vehicle and
noticed a child safety seat and a small purse in
the rear seat.
Two black males were in the vehicle. The
driver, who was wearing a black hoodie, said
that the two men were waiting on two friends
who were inside the club. Officers told them
to disperse and the suspect drove off at a high
rate of speed.
The officers continued their canvassing of
the area. Their canvassing was on foot during
this encounter.
At about 2:30 a.m. officers saw the same vehicle
again as it drove around suspiciously with only
driving lights on and no headlights. Officers
followed them on foot to see where they drove
to and to investigate their movement. Officers
separated and headed varying directions.
semiautomatic pistol as well. Also fearing for
his life, this officer fired four times at the
suspect in the vehicle. The vehicle then turned
and swerved away from the officers and turned
north on Shepherd.
Officers followed as far as they could on foot
to maintain a visual of the suspect vehicle while
alerting dispatch of shots fired and the suspect’s possible location. Backup units arrived
and found the abandoned vehicle just north on
Shepherd in the Jax Grill parking lot. All of the
suspects had fled on foot.
The suspect driver threw his black hoodie on
the ground. A K-9 unit arrived and got a scent
from the sweatshirt. The K-9 unit tracked the
scent and found who they believed to be the
suspect driver. The suspect was taken into
custody without incident and transported to
Homicide for questioning.
No other suspects were found.
The officer used the strobe function on his
light and shined it directly at the vehicle and
ordered the suspect to stop and identified
himself as an HPD officer as he was wearing
his full HPD uniform.
The vehicle then squealed its tires and sped
toward the officer. The officer ran south across
Allen to avoid being hit by the vehicle. As he
ran, the suspect drove toward him and pulled
up his right hand, which held what appeared to
be a black semiautomatic pistol.
The officer ran into the parking lot as the
vehicle drove at him pointing the gun and
trying to strike the officer with his car. The
officer, fearing for his life and that of the other
officers, fired one time at the suspect in the
vehicle and barely avoided being hit by the car.
Just as the officer got out of the way another
officer stood in the possible path of the
vehicle and saw what he believed to be a black
The officer, fearing for his life, fired several
times in rapid succession at this second suspect.
He did not know if he hit this suspect because
he then ducked behind another display case
to maintain cover and a tactical position. The
officer also notified dispatch of shots fired and
his location.
It should be noted that there were no
civilians in the officer’s line of fire or behind this
suspect. The officer believed that the first
suspect was on the ground, assaulting the
security guard at that time because he did not
see him.
The officer then peaked back over the display
case and saw the first suspect wearing the white
shirt jump over a display case. The suspect was
carrying two semiautomatic firearms, one in
each hand.
A sergeant eventually saw the suspects at the
4700 block of Allen and he came across a
parking lot to approach them. The sergeant
shined his flashlight at the suspects as he ran
across the parking lot and noticed that the
vehicle now had four occupants and the suspect
with the black hoodie from earlier was still
the driver.
As the sergeant approached on foot, the vehicle
drove forward, away from him while going
west on Allen toward Shepherd. By this time,
a patrol officer had come across an adjacent
parking lot west of the sergeant. He was
positioned in front of the suspect vehicle. The
officer stood in the middle of the street (more
toward the north side edge) when the vehicle
drove in his direction.
The second suspect turned with a dark object
in his hand against the backdrop of his dark
hooded sweatshirt. The officer could not get
a clear view of what appeared to be an object
the same color of the dark sweatshirt worn by
this suspect, who advanced in the direction of
the officer.
Officer shoots it out with
Galleria jewelry robber
REPRESENTATION
About noon on April 11 an officerinvolved shooting took place in the 5800
block of Westheimer. It involved one officer
working an approved extra job at a jewelry store
near Galleria.
The officer was present at the store when two
black males came in and started breaking glass
to access the jewelry. One suspect wearing a
white shirt went to the on-duty security guard
while carrying a handgun, took him to the
ground and started assaulting him.
The officer could not see the security guard
but could hear sounds as if the guard was
being assaulted. A second suspect wearing a
dark hooded sweatshirt started breaking the
glass to a couple display cases when the officer
announced, “Houston police! Show me your
hands and get on the ground!”
“Police! Get on the ground!” this officer
shouted. But this suspect did not obey and
continued to advance toward the officer while
aiming his weapons. The officer, fearing for
his life and that of the workers in the store,
fired several more times at the suspect before
ducking again for cover. The first suspect also
got behind a display case for cover. It should
be noted again that there were no civilians in
his line of fire at this time. All employees were
either behind or to the right of the officer, away
from the suspects.
The officer also kept telling the employees to
stay down. The first suspect fired at the officer
during the engagement. A spent 9mm shell
casing was later found. The officer (who carries
a .40 caliber) said a bullet strike was located in
a display case from the 9mm round. Shortly
thereafter, the first suspect ran out of the store
carrying jewelry. He was not apprehended.
Next, after several seconds, an employee told
the officer that the second suspect was on the
ground outside the store. The officer secured
the second suspect just as backup arrived.
Officer shoots, kills bank
robber, arrests 2 others
REPRESENTATION
By Sally Ring, Staff Legal Counsel
An officer-involved shooting unfurled just
before 2 p.m. April 26 at a Regions Bank
located at the end of a strip center in the 7700
block of Atascocita.
Let the Peddling Begin
for HPD’s Bicycle Relay Team
By TOM KENNEDY
About 40 HPD officers will embark on a 2,000-mile biking
expedition that should raise close to $230,000 for the Leukemia
Lymphoma Society.
They will leave Discovery Green on June 18 on a bike relay to Portland,
Maine, where they will arrive on their bicycles at the Portland Harbor
Hotel on the morning of June 25.
“Last year we raised $200,000-plus,” Lt. Randy Upton said, “and
this year it should be closer to $230,000. We will ride 24/7. We never
stop riding.
“It’s always in honor of the folks who battled, have survived or have lost
their lives to leukemia or lymphoma. Each rider rides in honor of or in
memory of someone they know or somehow met throughout their lives
who battled some form of cancer.”
Vans accompany the riders to facilitate rest periods, water, snacks and
First Aid if necessary.The riders switch off over the course of the week
to prevent exhaustion.
Upton, a veteran rider over many of the 32 years the Department has
participated in this great fundraising effort, said In order for officers to
participate, they are required to raise at least $5,000 for the Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society and its mission.
“We urge everyone to go to our website, www.hpdrelay.com, to make a
donation,” he said.
“All participants are active or retired HPD,” Upton explained. “We will
have one Portland, Maine officer fly down and go with us. We also will
have a couple officers from Richmond PD and two 14-year-old sons of
members, my son, 15, who’s in his third year, another 15-year-old, and
Sgt. Jason Leal’s daughter Jade, a sophomore in college will be riding.
She rode last year.”
Sgt. Leal died of cancer. HPD officers have ridden in his memory.
“As a group,” Upton said, “we will ride the route without skipping a
mile, relay style.”
They will ride 120-mile segments with one man meeting the next on
the side of the road.”
Continues from Page 20
A sergeant and an officer had just finished their lunch and stopped
by the bank on the way back to the office. The sergeant went inside
while the officer remained outside in their unmarked vehicle. When the
sergeant entered the bank, he was met by a robber pointing a shotgun in
his face. A robber disarmed the sergeant and ordered him to the floor.
Then a total of three suspects exited the bank.
The officer in the unmarked car observed the three suspects
leaving the bank. They were wearing masks, hats and gloves. The three
suspects entered a vehicle that was parked in front of the bank and
backed up as if to flee.
Including the donations from last year, the total contributions given
through the Houston Police Bicycle Relay Team have exceeded
$5.4 million.
The Bike Relay website reported that because of generous giving like
this, continuing research has resulted in survival rates for the most
common form of childhood leukemia rising from four percent in 1960
to 90 percent in 2010!
“Further, leukemia researchers pioneered and developed most major
cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, transfusion and radiation
therapies, bone marrow and stem cell transplants – all made possible
by donations given by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Leukemia
research is looked upon as the window to the cure of all cancer!”
The last time the Houston Bicycle Relay Team made this journey
to Portland, Maine, its members made a special visit to President
George H. W. Bush’s home. The President recognized the team in his
“thousand points of light” program for its efforts to help improve the
overall quality of life.
When Lt. Upton and others are asked why they participate in this
program, they cite the experience of Sgt. Leal.
Leal’s story dramatically brings into perspective the reasons behind the
Department’s strong support and participation in the bike relay.
The sergeant went through grueling chemotherapy to battle stage 4
Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, a very aggressive form of cancer that
had spread into his bone marrow.
Before he died from the disease, Leal said, “It is at this time in my life
I understand that I must stand strong against this evil that has invaded
my body and surround myself with strong willed family and friends who
will provide the spiritual and moral support I need.
“I am very aware that if I had gone through the same treatment just
10 years ago, the results may have taken a very different turn in many
different ways.
“It is my hope that we all continue to be advocates for cancer research by
supporting organizations such as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
and the Houston Police Bicycle Relay Team.”
suspect vehicle continued through the parking lot and crashed into a
concrete pillar in the strip center.
The officer approached the suspect vehicle and ordered everyone out. Two
suspects exited the front and back passenger side and were taken into custody.
The driver tried to exit the front window, but died from gunshot wounds in
the process.
Deputies with the HCSO processed the scene. Approximately $14,000
was found in the suspect vehicle, along with a tracking device from the
bank. The sergeant’s weapon also was recovered from the vehicle.
The officer drew down on the suspects and ordered them out of the
vehicle. The driver raised the shotgun toward the officer, prompting the
officer to fire his weapon as the suspect vehicle came toward him. The
3 Things You Need to Know About Sequestration
and Cuts to Federal Public-Safety Programs
Editor’s Note: Sequestration is a series of automatic spending cuts and tax
increases that took effect on March 1, 2013. The cuts include about $100
billion in automatic cuts to defense and domestic government spending.
NAPO understands the United States Government’s need to balance its
budget. At the same time, certain core functions of the federal government,
including public safety, cannot be shut down. The following article comprises a key part to the latest Washington report from NAPO.
By ERIK STEGMAN
Lately it seems there is a never-ending stream of stories in the media
about victims of terrible crimes, such as the three women and one of the
women’s daughter who were recently rescued from a home in Cleveland,
Ohio, after being kidnapped and held as prisoners for a decade. Some
of them were also allegedly raped repeatedly. But for victims of such
crime around the country, a series of recent budget cuts—including the
reckless automatic across-the-board cuts known as sequestration—are a
serious threat to their recovery and ability to seek justice.
fund services for victims of child sexual abuse (38,767 fewer served),
domestic violence (178,894 fewer served), and adult sexual assault
(21,363 fewer served). And the list goes on.
When law enforcement responds to crimes, it relies on critical federally
funded programs, as well as an invaluable network of service providers
who can support victims in crisis. These service providers are a vital
component of our justice system, giving victims the mental, physical,
and emotional support they need to get back on their feet and the
resources to seek their own justice.
Countless victims of domestic violence and sexual assault waited and
waited as Congress dragged its feet for nearly two and a half years
to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA, which
provides for services and law enforcement for victims of domestic
violence and sexual assault. Congress finally reauthorized the landmark
law this year, but just as the victims thought they had finally scored
a victory, sequestration slashed funding for the programs authorized
under this vital law.
Congress recently sprang into action to fix inconveniences for air
travelers caused by automatic spending cuts, but victims of crime are
left wondering where they fit into Congress’s priorities. The automatic
cuts under sequestration are only the latest in a terrible trend of cuts to
law-enforcement and victims services. Sequestration and related cuts in
fiscal year 2013 alone will reduce or cut services to more than 955,000
victims. Automatic cuts are also threatening the U.S. Army’s ability to
hire 829 military and civilian sexual-assault response coordinators as a
result of an epidemic of sexual assault in the U.S. military.
Here are three things you need to know about how Congress is
continuing to shortchange law enforcement and victims of crime
through reckless deficit reduction and automatic cuts.
Cutting services for victims of domestic violence, child
sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, and other crimes
Due to sequestration, 337,000 victims of domestic violence, child sexual
abuse, adult sexual assault, and other crimes will lose critical support
and services they receive through the Crime Victims Fund to help them
recover from the heinous crimes committed against them.
Every year, the Crime Victims Fund—established under the Victims
of Crime Act, or VOCA—provides millions of crime victims in
communities across the country with vital services in times of
crisis. VOCA funds provide sexual-assault services, support for crisis
intervention, assistance with the criminal-justice process, counseling,
investigation and prosecution of child and elder abuse, and more. It also
provides compensation to victims of crime.
Federal criminal offenders pay into the VOCA Crime Victims Fund
through fines and penalties levied against them, meaning that it is
budget neutral, doesn’t cost taxpayers anything, and doesn’t add to
the national debt or deficit. But even a funding stream such as the one
VOCA provides hasn’t escaped Congress’s reckless budget cutting:
Sequestration is expected to reduce VOCA victims-service-assistance
grants to states by $37.2 million, resulting in the more than 377,000
victims losing access to these services in FY 2013 alone. These grants
But it doesn’t end there. Due to the irresponsible budget-cutting
environment, Congress this year asked the Department of Justice,
which administers these funds, to cut management and administrative
expenses from the VOCA fund for the second year in a row,
compounding the cuts to victims services already set to take place under
sequestration. Last year was the first year Congress had ever instructed
the department to cut the fund for this purpose. This cut to VOCA
funding is expected to reduce the number of victims served by nearly
578,000 on top of the sequester reductions, resulting in an estimated
total of 955,843 fewer victims served in FY 2013.
Congress finally passed the Violence Against Women Act
and then cut its funding
VAWA and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, or FVPSA,
provide two of the most reliable sources of funding for domestic violence
and sexual assault. At least 106,000 fewer victims are expected to receive
services through these sources due to sequestration. And these cuts
come at a time when a recent survey by the National Network to End
Domestic Violence reports that 88 percent of state domestic-violence
coalitions reported an increase in demand for services and 69 percent of
these coalitions reported funding decreases.
Agencies and facilities across the country serving these women are
grappling with how to handle the budget cuts. Most find themselves
choosing between cutting services or staff, or closing down altogether.
A recent report by the Police Executive Research Forum found that 56
percent of 700 responding agencies reported that the poor economy is
driving an increase in domestic violence, up from 40 percent in a similar
2010 survey.
Early estimations of the effect of sequestration are now becoming
reality. In the military, which has been plagued by rising and epidemic
levels of sexual assault among its ranks, the U.S. Army has reported that
sequestration may hinder its ability to hire 829 military and civilian
sexual-assault response coordinators. In Louisiana, an organization that
provides 11 specially trained nurses who travel the area to collect DNA
evidence from rape victims at hospitals may have to close its doors due
to sequestration-related funding shortages. And the Kentucky Domestic
Violence Association may have to eliminate sexual-assault-prevention
staff from its ranks due to a lack of funds. The combined impact of
sequestration on VAWA, FVPSA, and VOCA alone is crippling the
critical support system upon which victims of domestic violence and
sexual assault rely.
Federal funding cuts to law-enforcement programming
may be virtually unfunded by 2021
These devastating cuts to victims services come on the heels of two years
of drastic and unprecedented cuts to federal public-safety programming.
The HPOU was well represented (as usual) at the Washington celebration of Police Week. Left
to right: Former HPOU President and retired Senior Police Officer Gary Blankinship, Gary’s
granddaughter Madison “Madi” Reeves (daughter of Officers Dustin Reeves and Nikki BlankinshipReeves), Officer Nikki Blankinship-Reeves, HPOU Board Member Tim Whitaker, Officer Michael Herb,
Board Member Linda Ybanez, Mikey Ybanez and Michael Ybanez, Board Member Don Egdorf, Officer
Mikey LaReau and his daughter Presley (Blankinship’s granddaughter), and Board Members O.J. Latin,
Tom Hayes and Gary Hicks.
PHOTO BY ROSALIND HICKS
Please look in the bottom right hand corner of this picture of the
National Police Memorial and see the replica of the Houston Police
Department patch with “112” affixed to it. At 11 o’clock from the
HPD patch is engraved “Kevin S. Will,” the 112th HPD officer to be
killed in the line of duty. Officer Will, 38, was violently struck down
and killed by an impaired motorist on May 29, 2011.
PHOTOS BY GARY HICKS
President Barack Obama was the keynote speaker at a May 15 ceremony on
the West Front of the Capitol and gave a heartfelt speech quoting scripture
to hundreds of officers and family members.
Describing America’s fallen officers, the President said,
“Let us not remember them for just how they died, but
also for how they lived.”
Here is the official picture of Houston’s Top Cop Family: left to right, Officer
Mikey LaReau, Officer Nikki Blankinship-Reeves and her daughter Madi,
retired Senior Police Officer Gary Blankinship and his wife Lisa and HPOU’s
Krystal LaReau and her and Mikey’s daughter, Presley. As most of HPOU
knows, all the people in this photograph are related!
Officer Alfonso Yanez and Sgt. Aldo Gonzalez, both from the Eastside DGU
Unit, display plaques they received as Honorable Mention for annual Top
Cop honors.
GARY HICKS PHOTO
Here are the Top Cop awards taken home to
Houston by retired HPD Senior Police Officer
Gary Blankinship (former HPOU president), Officer
Mikey La Reau (his son-in-law) and Officer Nikki
Blankinship-Reeves (his younger daughter).
GARY HICKS PHOTO
See the
online
at hpou.org
Programs such as the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, or Byrne JAG, and
the Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, hiring grants
are some of the vital federal sources of funding that state and local law
agencies rely on for law enforcement, prosecution, crime prevention,
education, corrections, and victims assistance.
A recent survey of 714 organizations, mostly local and state
law-enforcement agencies, done by the National Criminal Justice
Association and the Vera Institute of Justice found that over the past
two years alone, federal support for criminal-justice assistance-grant
programs has decreased by 43 percent. Left unchanged, the cuts
mandated through sequestration could leave these vital federal
programs virtually unfunded by 2021. These federal programs provide
substantial funding for components of the criminal-justice system,
including the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which
saw its funding cut by 75 percent in FY 2012, and juvenile-justice and
delinquency-prevention programs, which were cut by more than 50
percent in FY 2012.
The real effects of these cuts are emerging. One respondent to the
National Criminal Justice Association and the Vera Institute of
Justice survey from Ohio, for example, said that, “If projected cuts in
government funding proceed, we anticipate that our court advocacy
program will be greatly curtailed, if not virtually eliminated. That means
we will not be able to offer hands-on assistance in accompanying victims
to court proceedings and in assisting clients obtain protection orders.”
A law-enforcement respondent from Kentucky said that personnel and
equipment needs were cut in half in FY 2012 due to funding cuts. “It’s
hard to estimate the devastation these cuts will make to an already
horrible condition,” said the respondent.
Cutbacks in funding to law-enforcement programming are on a
dangerous trajectory. Through funding cuts and sequestration, Congress
is asking law-enforcement agencies across the country to choose between
a terrible set of options, none of which provide any comfort to victims of
crimes such as sexual assault and domestic violence. These cutbacks are
already hindering the ability of local criminal-justice systems to respond
to crimes and provide support to victims.
Conclusion
Responding effectively and responsibly to crime requires an entire
system of justice—one that provides adequate resources to law
enforcement and victims-service agencies so that they can respond in
times of crisis and help victims get back on their feet and seek justice.
Unfortunately, there is nothing effective, responsible, or adequate about
how Congress is treating victims of crime today.
The current reckless budget-cutting environment threatens this entire
system due to the immediate effects of sequestration and the further
troubling trend of declining public-safety and victims-service funding.
Before boarding planes to go home on recess last month, Congress
rushed to fix sequestration-related inconveniences for air travelers, but
victims of crime and the law enforcement and other agencies that serve
them remain dangerously shortchanged. Victims of crimes such as
sexual assault and domestic violence have nowhere else to turn, and they
deserve to be a priority every bit as much as air travelers do.
______________________________________________________
Erik Stegman is the Manager of the Half in Ten Education Fund at the
Center for American Progress.
District Clerk Chris Daniel, a friend of HPOU, posed with HPOU President Ray Hunt
at the May general membership meeting. Daniel will seek a second two-year term in
2014. GARY HICKS PHOTO
Tom Kennedy is a long-time Houston
in HPD Officers paying retail.
Here are some examples:
Signed Duke Snider Ball
Signed Biggio Ball
Signed Bagwell Ball
Signed Stan
“The Man” Musial Ball
Signed Yogi Berra Ball
$100
199
$149
$75
$165
$115
$199
$95
$135
$75
9950 Hempstead Road (The Old Penney Location in Northwest Mall)
Northwest’s Belinoski Honored
as Field Trainer of the Month
Senior Police Officer Michael Belinoski of the
Northwest Division was named Field Training
Officer of the Month at the May general
membership meeting of the Houston Police
Officers Union.
Belinoski has been with HPD for more than 21
years and works the night shift. He has served
as a field training officer since the Northwest
Division became a field training station in the
fall of 2008.
Lt. Alfred Pitts said, “Whenever I have a
probationary police officer that needs a little
extra attention, I can assign him/her to Officer
Belinoski with confidence that he will provide
the most complete instruction possible.
“When he is assigned a new PPO to engage in
the training process, he determines what areas
they may need special attention and then he
seeks out a wide variety of calls and situations
to expose him/her to in order to strengthen
and prepare him/her for the next step of the
training cycle.”
Lt. Pitts praised Belinoski for his thorough
documentation of how each call was handled
and the instructions he provided the PPO,
allowing the new officer “an opportunity to
better understand how he/she is progressing.” The expert FTO also encourages “an
atmosphere of open dialogue” in an effective
learning environment.
Pitts said, “Due to a shortage of training
personnel on day shift, on three different
occasions during the last year, Officer Belinoski
has volunteered to change shifts for three
weeks in order to train a probationary officer
and then return to his shift and train another
probationary officer from the same class.”
Richard Bolton Selected May
Investigator of the Month
Senior Police Officer Richard Bolton of the
Homicide Division was named Investigator of
the Month in the May general membership
meeting of the Houston Police Officers Union.
Homicide Sgt. Thomas M. Biggs III
presented the award after detailing Bolton’s
tireless dogging of a suspect in the Dec. 18,
2011 murder in the death of a college student
named Hao Huyen. Huyen was robbed near
his apartment and shot to death in a struggle.
Bolton determined the victim was killed
by a 40-caliber bullet. With no witnesses,
Bolton turned to the physical evidence at the
scene, matching the shell casings that were
collected to a criminal mischief complaint.
Closely examining every detail, the senior
police officer traced the gun to one also used
in an earlier shootout.
Both individuals in the shootout claimed they
used 9 mm pistols and not a 40-caliber.
Through Bolton’s diligence, he located a fired
projectile from the shootout and traced it to
one of the two individuals, but a DNA sample
needed to further pin this suspect to the
murder scene proved to be negative.
“However, a new sample submitted following
the conviction of a third yet unknown (suspect) was found to be a match,” Sgt. Biggs
pointed out. “Using the DNA evidence that was
collected a year earlier and now matched, SPO
Bolton was able to identify a suspect.”
Eventually Bolton went through other details
and interviewed others involved in the
investigation of a drug case involving this
suspect. He compiled enough evidence to
obtain a pocket warrant and with help from the
Southeast Division Tactical Unit, he located
and arrested the suspect, who refused to talk
but hung his head and said, “I’m dead.”
The suspect was charged with capital murder
and now resides in the Harris County Jail.
Biggs said, “With limited evidence, SPO
Bolton continued to work tirelessly on the
investigation. He never gave up on finding the
killer of Hao Huyen.”
Jim Conley of Conley and Bratton Fame
Discusses History of Operation Lone Star
By NELSON ZOCH
Jim Conley joined the Houston Police Department in 1970. After
working in Radio Patrol for a number of years, he joined the staff at
the Houston Police Academy and became well known and respected,
along with his partner Terry Bratton, as recognized experts in the
all-important field of Officer Safety Training.
He was winding down his career when he was rather abruptly
confronted with another very important safety issue. That concern was
that his son, Jim Conley Jr., as well as his nephew Matt Alexander, were
both in the United States Marine Corps. Both had Iraq-Afghanistan
deployments on the very near horizon for them.
For Officer Jim Conley Sr. and his sister Sandy Alexander, these were
concerns that were constantly on their minds. While they were both
aware that they had no control over the safety of their children while in
the military, they agreed that possibly there was something they could
do to make their brave young men’s situation as comfortable as it could
be under those circumstances.
On July 4, 2008, Jim, Sandy and another concerned military mom
and close friend of theirs, Judy Pierce, met at Jim’s home. They had all
been involved with another military support group, but they also felt
that this organization was not meeting the goals that were of utmost
importance to them. It was there that the three of them discussed and
then agreed to a name, a logo, and the most important item, a mission.
Thus, Operation Lone Star-Texans Supporting Our Troops was born.
According to Jim, it was decided that Sandy, with her knowledge of tax
laws, charities, forms, documents, etc., along with her computer savvy,
had no choice but to be the Secretary/Treasurer. Judy, known to be a
hard worker and someone who could get things done, became our Vice
President. That was the perfect role for Judy. A President was needed
to take this effort out into the public and according to Sandy and Judy,
there was not really any choice to be made-Jim was the perfect (and
only) man for the job.
Jim had served in the United States Navy during the Viet Nam War and
had heard so often in the Navy that “Rank has its privileges”. Jim later
learned that this phrase had absolutely no meaning at all to these two
ladies. Jim stated that he is President “in name only”, giving much credit
to where he says it is due-to Sandy and Judy. Jim, also having been the
recipient of “care packages from home” when he was in the Navy during
the Viet Nam War, knew personally just how important such items were
to men and women far away from home. Also, he was aware of just how
non-available many items were to our service people.
Jim’s son, Jim Jr., served in the United States Marine Corps for four
years, 2005-2009. He was assigned to the Infantry of the 2nd Battery,
7th Marine Regiment. He was deployed in Iraq for seven months in
2007 and then he returned over there to the desert, this time for eight
months to Afghanistan in 2008. It was during these deployments that
Operation Lone Star was formed.
It was also from that deployment, as well as the deployment of
Matt Alexander that the needs of these brave troops became more
well-defined, which increased the efforts of those involved in Operation
Lone Star. Matt was assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and has
been at one time or the other deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Jim Sr., Sandy and Judy became convinced that whatever they could do
to provide some even small comforts of home for these troops was where
they desired to center their efforts. Their fundraising efforts would be
the catalyst to provide these items not only to Jim Jr. and Matt, but to
as many as possible of their fellow warriors deployed to the desert also.
This operation began on the proverbial shoestring, which consisted
of two tables, a donation box, and a canopy at the entrances to some
of their local Wal-Marts. These fundraising efforts proved to be
somewhat successful, but it was decided to branch out in order to reach
more people.
Over the years, booths were arranged at larger events such as the
Huntsville, Texas Fair on the Square; the Stafford, TexasHot Sauce
Festival; the Tomball, Texas German Festival, the German Christmas
Festival in December; the Brenham, Texas Maifest; and the Katy, Texas
Rice Festival. They have also participated in The Woodlands, Texas
Fourth of July Red, Hot, and Blue Festival and will return for the
Lighting of the Doves Christmas Festival in November.
With input from both Jim Jr. and Matt, and also later from Enid Conley
of the United States Army, Operation Lone Star utilized the funds
raised to purchase and ship items of basic necessities and comfort to not
only family members, but to all other members of their units. These
items include the following:
Socks, eye drops, nasal saline, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash,
deodorant, Lever soap with Aloe, hand sanitizer, Neosporin, Johnson
Baby Powder Cornstarch, hand/foot warmers, batteries (AA,C,D
cells), a four-inch brush (for weapon cleaning), macaroni and cheese,
paper, pens, envelopes, disposable razors, Lubriderm, foot powder, nail
clippers, Carmex, laundry detergent, power bars, fruit cups, trail mix,
Tabasco, slim jims, Powdered Gatorade, Chef Boyardee Ravioli, and
Oxy cleansing pad.
According to Jim Jr. and Enid, and I’m sure Matt would agree, these
items sent to the troops over there were tremendous morale boosters in
that knowing someone back at home cares about their comforts.
Cash donations are utilized to ship the above items. In a standard
sized box, approximately $25 worth of items can be shipped for
$14.95. ALL DONATIONS TO OPER ATION LONE STAR ARE
TAX DEDUCTIBLE, as this is designated as an official 501 © (3)
organization by the Internal Revenue Code.
As time passed and Jim Jr. and Matt came home safely, their efforts
continued and are still ongoing today in 2013. Jim Sr.’s daughter, Enid
Conley, also felt the urge to serve her country. She was called to active
duty and served a year in Iraq in the United States Army, assigned to the
810th Military Police Company. She was attending the Broward County,
Florida, Sheriff’s Department Academy, when she was deployed. After
returning from her tour of duty, she finished the Academy and is now
serving as a Road Patrol Officer with that agency in Florida.
Jim, being released from the Marines on July 4, 2009, was accepted into
the Houston Police Academy, graduating in Academy Class No. 208 on
Sept. 30, 2010. He is currently assigned to the North Command Patrol
Station. Matt remains on active duty with the USMC and will likely be
redeployed in the near future.
Much more about this worthy effort can be learned from their
website, which is OperationLoneStar.com. Your contributions will
be utilized in the most effective manner and all are appreciated.
Communication to this organization is available as 281-455-9861 or by
email at operationlonestar@hotmail.com.
THANKS
TO SENATORS
JOHN WHITMIRE,
JOAN HUFFMAN,
AND THE ENTIRE
HARRIS COUNTY
DELEGATION FOR
THEIR SUPPORT
DURING THE
83RD LEGISLATIVE
SESSION!
B&G Essay
Officer’s Word is Better
than any Camera Anywhere
By RYAN LUMPKIN
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but does a picture really
paint the whole picture?
As you may or may not know, a camera recording is simply a recording
of both audible and visual components, which allows you to record, to
an extent, what is transpiring around you.
However, does this recording really pick up everything? Does a camera
have the ability to sense, smell, or taste? Does it have peripheral vision?
Does it have intuition?
So let’s ask ourselves: To film or not to film, that is the question.
Cameras as Defense
We now live in the world of digital media. Cameras have become
commonplace. We are on constant watch. You see these cameras on
iPhones, mounted in various stores, and mini clip-on cameras that you
can purchase through Amazon.com.
What better way to arm ourselves than with the same cameras that are
being used against us?
That way if a suspect or complainant files a complaint, we can bust out
our recording in order to denounce whatever false accusation has just
been spewed. I get the appeal. However, this is a dangerous road that is
being traveled. Most officers are so pre-occupied with the fact that we
can record, that they haven’t taken the time to stop and think whether
or not we should.
Let us do that now.
I just mentioned one of the pros of having the camera. The camera at
times can serve as a means of defense. It is, seemingly, the end all and be
all, to any IAD investigation. Just look at the tape and see if what I said
is true. The problem with this line of thought is that video recordings
do not reveal everything.
Often times the media will conveniently show footage of the officer
taking action, but fail to provide the evidence of the events leading up
to it. Additionally, it should be noted that in regards to complaints,
approximately 30 percent come from civilians. That means the majority
of complaints are coming from department personnel.
Let us remember that Chad Holley never filed a complaint. It was a
camera mounted on the back of a warehouse that caused that debacle
to come to fruition. This is not to say that I condone what transpired.
Furthermore, some argue that the camera will prevent
unreasonable accusations from having any merit, which is
perhaps true. So congratulations! You prevented a minute number of
officers from potentially being cited who probably would not have been
cited regardless.
The camera is not inherently evil, but it is my disposition that it offers
more problems for officers than it does solutions.
Let me further explain my position by giving an example.
Let us talk about the crew down in neighborhood protection. They
went down a similar path some time ago. Originally, if someone
violated city ordinances by having debris in their yard, high weeds, or a
dilapidated house, the civilian inspectors of neighborhood protection
could cite those individuals and simply go to the court and testify as to
what was observed.
However, at times, it became a battle of his or her word over that of
the civilian being cited. Normally speaking, the courts would favor the
inspectors as neutral objective parties and would allow them to cite
those deserving a citation.
However, because of a few unmemorable instances where the judge did
not rule in their favor, inspectors began to take pictures. Then they
would present the judge with photographic evidence showing the tall
weeds or debris in the front lawn. Unbeknownst to the inspectors, what
seemed like a great idea came back to bite them on the rear.
‘Lost Word’
All of the sudden, their word was no longer valuable enough. Their word
no longer carried enough weight for the courts to convict. Now every
inspector is required to provide picture evidence in order for a judge to
rule in their favor. And so began the “lost word.”
Now neighborhood protection inspectors record approximately 5,000
pictures (a rough estimate) which are uploaded each year into our
database for the purposes mentioned above. If this were to happen with
video recording, that would mean less money for the city, which means
less supplies, less academy classes and less overtime.
It would also mean more General Orders, more paperwork, and a slew of
video recordings being downloaded daily. I believe, in time, these tiny
video recording devices will essentially neuter the word of the officer.
It is through these cameras that our word will begin to lack conviction
and will eventually offer little weight or substance.
Lawyers and judges will demand to see the “tape” and any officer
unable to provide the video evidence will receive citations for failing to
have their personal recorder on.
Let us not allow the word of the officer to disappear. This department
through its officers has worked too hard. From the recruiting process to
the academy and to the training/mentorship program to not have our
words be filled with worth. There will always be a few bad weeds as is
true of any large scale business/enterprise/department, but by far most
officers fulfill their oath and stand behind the department’s adage.
This department and its officers are defined by words such as respect,
integrity and honor. Most officers fulfill this commitment and their
word should be trusted. This is the reason we have such a rigorous
screening process.
So the next time you are on the stand, take a stand. Show the court
members that your word is enough because of the moral fiber thatcomprises the majority of HPD personnel. Show the jury that your word is
more valuable than a video clip.
It is easy to see my stance, but the question still remains: Is the juice
worth the squeeze? Only time will tell.
DON’T
GET CAUGHT
without an ad in the
BADGE&GUN
Call Celest at (832) 541-1463
First in a Series
Examining the Evolution
of Law Enforcement Training
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series by B&G contributor Barbara
Schwartz documenting the evolution and future of officer training.
By BARBARA A. SCHWARTZ
Four California Highway Patrol officers perished during a gunfight near
the city of Newhall in 1970, waking law enforcement up to the fact that
under stress officers responded as they were trained.
An aspect that retired Lt. Jim Glennon, who acquired Calibre Press and
the Street Survival Seminars last September, takes to a new level in his
updated and revamped seminars which he will bring to Deer Park on
July 22nd and 23rd. Details can be found at www.calibrepress.com.
Across the nation, academies scrambled to come up with better methods
and techniques, realizing that for officers to survive deadly encounters
that training had to change and improve.
“Officers need to understand what happens unconsciously under
stress,” Glennon said. “How their unconscious reactions lead to
maladaptive behaviors.”
Training evolved because people with a vision – and the passion to make
their vision a reality – stepped up to the plate.
Officers routinely miss body language that are precursors to attacks and
talk when they should be hands on or shooting. Subjects Glennon covers
in his refreshed seminars.
Survival Techniques
Retired LAPD detective Pierce Brooks, who lead the investigation into
the 1963 Onion Field incident, spawned the officer safety movement.
His book—Officer Down Code Three published in 1975 by Motorola
Teleprograms—became required reading at the Houston academy.
Brook’s “Ten Deadly Errors” apply today: 1) Failure to maintain
proficiency and care of weapon, vehicle and equipment; 2) Improper
search and use of handcuffs; 3) Sleepy or asleep; 4) Relaxing too soon; 5)
Missing the danger signs; 6) Taking a bad position; 7) Failure to watch
their hands; 8) Tombstone courage; 9) Preoccupation; and 10) Apathy.
Brooks highlighted the role officer behavior played in fatal attacks
and initiated the concept of training tactics to minimize risk in
deadly encounters.
Motorola film production editor and photographer Dennis Anderson
and writer Charles “Chuck” Remsberg built on those concepts and
propelled the officer safety movement forward.
Stress Conditions
“We’re just starting to explore how the brain functions under stress.”
Glennon noted that perceptional distortion, cognitive disorientation,
and loss of complex motor skills all have an effect on officer performance
during a deadly encounter.
Realization that physiology and psychology affect officer performance
moved firearms training into a new realm.
At the time of the Newhall incident, officers stood still at the range and
fired at metal triangular plates.
Paper targets came into being, bull’s eyes, then silhouettes.
Remsberg recalls an Arizona trainer who collected mannequins from a
store going out of business. He propped the mannequins against cactus
in the desert. A revolutionary concept at the time—using the human
form as actual targets.
A concept that met with huge political controversy.
Remsberg points out that at the time training had a fatalist
philosophy. Losing officers in the line of duty was considered status quo.
The prevailing attitude, according to Remsberg, “was that not much
could be done to prevent getting involved in a dangerous situation or
defending yourself. When your number was up, it was up.”
Many people, law enforcement trainers included, thought shooting at
silhouettes, or anything resembling the human form, would give the
wrong impression that officers were training to kill people.
Anderson and Remsberg changed those attitudes with the film “Survival
Shooting Techniques” and Remsberg’s landmark book—Street Survival:
Tactics for Armed Encounters. In 1980, Remsberg’s book replaced
Brooks’ as required reading at the HPD academy and to this day
instructors incorporate the book’s tactics into training.
Years passed as instructors battled to convince naysayers that society
required officers to shoot at people and that officers needed realistic
training to stop a threat and win a gunfight.
Following the book’s publication, speaking requests poured in
leading Remsberg to create the Calibre Press Street Survival Seminars
that remain in existence today. Calibre Press became one of the first
private training companies to gain POST and TCLEOSE certification.
Battling the Naysayers
During the seventies, officers fired rubber bullets from a revolver
at a white, pull-down screen as 16 mm reel-to-reel films projected
shoot-don’t-shoot scenarios. Observers watched where the rubber
bullets bounced off the screen to determine if the officer shot the bad
guy, a bystander, or that infamous nun.
The film, book and seminars created what Remsberg calls a “seismic
shift in how officers trained by presenting tactics that officers could
use to protect themselves, avoid fatal situations, and, if the risk was
unavoidable, how to come out on top using tactics, like cover, not
commonly taught at that time.”
A crude predecessor of future simulators and scenario-based training
to come.
Remsberg endured strong criticism for introducing in his seminars an
aspect of policing no one acknowledged or talked about: emotional and
physiological stress during and after an armed encounter.
Entrepreneur Ken Murray took on that challenge. Murray formed
Simunitions, a Canadian company that introduced marking cartridges
The next big revelation in training: how to expose officers to the stresses
experienced during an actual gunfight.
to law enforcement and the military. Utilizing paint ball technology,
Simunitions FX Marking Cartridges allowed paint balls to be fired from
an officer’s duty handgun.
Murray went up against the next group of naysayers who opposed
the idea of cops pointing their handguns at actual human beings and
pulling the trigger.
That was the idea. To simulate the stress in a training environment of
having a gun pointed at the officer. A gun that could fire a cartridge
that not only stung on impact, but left a paint mark signifying that
the officer had been hit. Trying to avoid that mark produced stress,
elevated heart and respiratory rates, and many of the physiological and
psychological symptoms that Remsberg spoke about in his seminars
years earlier.
Murray’s invention took scenario-based firearms training to a new level.
That new level, and the evolution of training at HPD, will be the subject
of the next installment in this series.
On May 3 a barbecue fundraiser at HPOU benefited J. D. Green,
involved in a major accident last Sept. 25 which resulted in his
paralysis from the neck down. Green, center, is pictured at the
event with his cousin Kevin King (left) and Senior Police Officer
Troy Duncan. GARY HICKS PHOTO.
The mammoth Texas State Capitol building formed the dramatic backdrop
to the May 6 ceremonies on the front steps.
Retired HPD Senior Police Officer David Freytag, known in HPD as
“Mr. Honor Guard,” was specially recognized at the ceremonies for his
outstanding contributions to Honor Guard duties throughout the state.
As usual, the Houston Police Department turned out in full force
The day would not be complete without an
appearance by one of the state’s best – if not
the best – police honor guards: the Houston
Police Department’s Honor Guard.
Lt. Gov. Dewhurst presents a special commemorative plaque honoring HPD
Officer Kevin S. Will, who was killed in the line of duty on May 29, 2011.
State Rep. Allen Fletcher of Tomball (retired HPD) is the only retired police officer now
serving in elective office in Texas. Rep. Fletcher took time out from his duties in the Texas
House to speak as part of the Police Week ceremonies on the Capitol grounds.
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst presided over the police
memorial ceremony on the Capitol grounds on May
6, commemorating the ultimate sacrifice of Texas
law enforcement officers. The annual ceremony
during Police Week activities across the state drew
hundreds of law enforcement officers from all over
Texas, the largest contingent from the Houston
Police Department.
Check out the
new HPOU website
at hpou.org
Kirby McErlane
The Most Exciting Events
of a Ministry That’s Winding Down
(Editor’s Note: The HPOU is one of the sponsors for Kirby McErlane’s
ongoing foreign mission trip that is taking her to 11 countries. Kirby is
the daughter of HPD Senior Police Officer Neil McErlane. Here is Kirby’s
latest column from the field.)
By KIRBY McERLANE
Hey Ya’ll!
I am currently finishing up month 9 in Draganesti, Romania. Our
team has been involved in various ministry opportunities: church
administration, baby sitting for local missionary families, manual labor,
visiting local villages and churches, focused prayer time for Romania and
building relationships with the locals.
10) Receiving gifts from the church my team served in Tanzania. Our
gifts were typical items worn by those apart of the “Massai” tribe:
colorful wraps, big earrings and intricately crafted bracelets. We felt
so loved!
9) Eating at Mugg and Bean (delicious coffee shop/cafe) in South Africa.
We had just come off a month of eating Sema (basically flour and water)
and rice, so we savored every bite. My pick from the menu: two poached
eggs,apple slices and toast!
8) Getting pulled over by the Swazi police and watching one of my
teammates bribe the officer with a KitKat bar. The officer then started
doing a little dance because he was so happy. We video taped the whole
thing. It was hilarious! Only in Africa!
7) Meeting a group of missionaries from Texas while at a
conference in Tanzania. They prayed for our team, blessed our
team financially and gave us much needed encouragement. Their big
hugs and southern hospitality came at just the right time.
6) The magnificent sight of the famous Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania.
The vast crater was inhabited by free-roaming wildlife. It felt like I was
watching The Lion King in real life.
5) Waking up at 5 a.m. to the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen. Each
morning, I would zip open my tent and marvel at the unique colors.
Our team lived atop a hill in Senga Bay, Malawi and every day I was
amazed at the wondrous beauty around me!
4) Holding precious children in Swaziland. The children in Swazi are
desperate for love and attention. They would push and shove for a spot
on our laps. Loving on them has been one of my greatest joys this
past year!
Our time here has flown by. We are now preparing to leave and start
month TEN in Moldova, which borders Romania. After Moldova, our
squad will fly to Ireland for our final month of The World Race!
Talk of home has already begun and we are now trying to mentally and
spiritually prepare to end this unique season of our lives.
(Financial update: I still have a balance of $206 in my support account.
If you would like to help cover the cost, you can mail a check to my
home address: 322 Darby Trails-Sugar Land, TX 77479. Checks payable
to Kirby McErlane. Thank you!)
During my three months in Africa, our squad traveled to Tanzania,
Malawi and Swaziland. Here is a list of my Top 11 Moments:
11) Dancing to Shakira’s song, This Time for Africa at the well in
Malawi. A huge group of kids started to sing this song and as I began
dancing, they all circled around me and joined in! We had a blast!
3) My time spent with a teenage girl named Amina. She lives in an
orphanage in Tanzania for kids with special needs. I will never forget
her big smile and sweet heart. I hope other missionaries will continue
serving at this orphanage. Amina and her other friends need others to
laugh and play with!
2) Laughing with my teammates during our short stay in South Africa.
A huge prayer of mine over the past year and a half is that I would laugh
again the way I used to – the loud, contagious laugh I was known for.
The Lord is so faithful!
1) Getting baptized in Lake Malawi. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and walked
down to the lake alongside my six other teammates. By the time we
reached the water, the sun was breaking through the clouds and the
waves were raging. My teammates cheered for me as I dipped into the
water and came back up more alive and full of joy!
Keith Margavio
Special HPD 112 Patches Honored
that Many Heroes in Washington, DC
By DON EGDORF
Police Week is always a special time of year for officers. It is a time when
we can pay our respects to our fallen officers, some recent and some
long ago.
This year Officer Kevin Will’s name was placed on the Texas Peace
Officers Memorial in Austin. Kevin was honored at the Candlelight
Vigil on May 5th and a ceremony on the steps of the State Capitol on
May 6th. The HPOU chartered a bus and transported 25 officers from
Vehicular Crimes Division to Austin to attend the State Memorial.
There were even doors and hoods from police cars to represent multiple
agencies that were brought in; many of them were back again this year.
We decided to go back again this year and wanted to do something to
make sure everyone knew that we have 109 officers on those walls. We
had patches made and placed a patch under each officers name, and then
left those patches on the panels so anyone walking in front of those walls
would know where our officers are listed.
Washington, DC
The Houston Police Department and the HPOU were represented
in Washington, DC for the National Police Week ceremonies as well.
The HPD Honor Guard participated in numerous ceremonies during
Police Week.
A group of board members made the trip and were able to attend not
only the 25th annual candlelight vigil on May 13th and the Memorial
Service at the U.S. Capitol on May 15th, but the Top Cops awards
dinner on May 12th.
The Top Cops awards were a special night for those lucky enough
to attend and we were able to hear stories about heroic officers from
around the country. Many of those officers put their own lives in danger
to save others and some of those officers were seriously injured in the
line of duty.
Special HPD 112 Patch was placed all over the National Monument
The Patches
We spent a couple of hours placing each patch and photographing every
name. There are three HPD officers whose names are not listed on the
National Memorial but we hope to correct that soon.
HPOU board member Don Egdorf and Officer Mike Herb both
attended Police Week in 2012 and came home feeling disappointed
about the lack of recognition that HPD’s fallen officers were receiving
in Washington.
We will be working over the next few months to try and get those names
added so that next year we will place 112 items on the walls. It’s our job
as survivors to make sure that these officers are not forgotten and their
memory lives on.
The memorial wall was covered with photos, notes, flowers, hats,
patches and just about anything else that someone could carry out there.
I plan on making this an annual trip as long as I am able to and would
welcome any others that want to join me.
Foundation, Camp Hope Initiations
are Helping Address PTSD Problems
By DAVID MAULSBY
As police officers and other law enforcement are acutely aware, PTSD
is a growing concern for the American veterans who suffer its effects.
But in Houston, law enforcement officers have a unique ability to
address PTSD through both the PTSD Foundation and Camp Hope.
Founded in May 2012, Camp Hope is an interim housing campus for
veterans and their families, and it is unlike any other organization in the
United States. Camp Hope was created by the Houston-based PTSD
Foundation of America, which has been serving veterans in unique ways
since 2008.
Camp Hope provides veterans and their families with a place to find
“hope and healing.”
Through group and individual mentoring, combined with assistance
through crisis issues of various kinds, hundreds of veterans have found
a “new normal” as they contend with the effects of depression and
post-traumatic stress. Specifically, Camp Hope has provided interim
housing for more than 20 veterans and their families in just its first year
of operation.
The PTSD Foundation operates seven groups in the Houston area,
including four support groups for veterans and three support groups
for families. Other groups are being launched in Colorado Springs,
Charlotte and Charleston.
To continue growing and building Camp Hope, the foundation is set to
open two new housing units in the coming weeks. One unit is a family
unit (the first of its kind in the nation) and the second one is for female
veterans. Plans include a multi-purpose facility to be built this fall,
followed by a 24-bed unit to be built in 2014.
HPOU,
Thank you so much for the flowers. The help I received by the Union
was a comfort. The service was beautiful. I know Gilbert would have
been very pleased.
(Gilbert F. Tyler Jr.)
Thank you
Jodie Tylor and Family
“I commend this organization for its dedication in serving our
community,” said HPD Capt. Gregory Fremin on a recent visit to
the five-acre Camp Hope campus. “This is incredible.” Fremin heads
HPOU’s Veterans Committee.
Recent information released by the Veteran’s Administration
underscored the importance of a good working relationship between
police officers, the PTSD Foundation and Camp Hope. The VA recently
adjusted its statistics reflecting the increasing rise in suicides among the
U.S. veteran population. It’s currently estimated that 22 veterans take
their own lives every day in the United States.
The military continues to deal with rising divorce rates, as well.
Furthermore, veterans comprise one-third of adult homelessness. Taken
together, these statistics make it easy to see why the CDC lists PTSD as
a “pandemic.”
To help combat the problems associated with PTSD, the Foundation
offers 24/7 access through its website, www.ptsdusa.org, or by calling
877-717-PTSD (7873).
The staff welcomes calls and referrals from law enforcement and invites
law enforcement officers to be a part of support groups for their
own needs.
Check the www.ptsdusa.org website for more information and details.
Camp Hope is conveniently located just off of Beltway 8, near the Sam
Houston Race Park, at 9724 Derrington, Houston, TX 77064.
____________________________________________________________
Maulsby is director of the PTSD Foundation.
Dear Houston Police Officers Union,
We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the beautiful
flowers you sent in memory of Bob Perry. We are deeply grateful for
your condolences and kindness during this time of loss.
The Perry Family
HPOU
Houston Police Department Family Assistance Unit
Dear HPOU Family, SPOs Mike Newsome and Bob Sampier,
My family and I wish to thank you for the beautiful plant you sent
to honor my father at his memorial service. Your thoughtfulness is
well appreciated and I am grateful for the services and support you
provide to our employees.
Thank you for the support, help, concern and kindness that was
shown to our family during the loss of our loved one.
A special thank you to the Honor Guard for their participation at the
May God bless you all. memorial. What an honor it was for them to be there.
Warmly,
Linda Ramos Zamora Our family will never forget the love and kindness that has been
shown us.
God bless you always,
The Wayne Kersten Family
Lest We Forget
By NELSON ZOCH
June 17, 1972
East Side Drunk Stabs and Kills David Noel
Then Gets Mere 20-Year Sentence and Parole
Officer David Franklin Noel was born on
September 22, 1943 in the Texas town of
Huntington, near Lufkin. After attending
school there and graduating from Zavalla High
School in 1962, he served his country in the
United States Army for two years. Noel joined
the Houston Police Department on December
27, 1966, graduating from the Houston Police
Academy in Cadet Class No. 34 on April
14, 1967. He was initially assigned to the
Evening Shift Central Patrol, later worked
in the Juvenile Division for a short time but
returned to the Evening Shift at Central.
the striking motion is seen, not the weapon
itself. When Officer Noel was stabbed, he slid
down to the sidewalk to a sitting position.
He was mortally wounded but able to tell his
partner that he had been stabbed. Officer
Davis took Paul Deleon into custody and
summoned assistance.
On the night of Friday, June 16, 1972, Officers
David Noel and J. R. “Jimmy” Davis finished
their 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. tour of duty at Central
and Northwest stations, respectively. Both then
reported to 316 N. Nagle to work their regular
Friday night extra job at Castillo’s Lounge. An
intoxicated male was bothering other patrons
inside the lounge and was warned by the
officers that his behavior would not be
tolerated. After continuing to bother the other
patrons, he was told to come outside with
Officers Noel and Davis.
While they were speaking to this male, who
was later identified as Paul Villalpand Deleon
(Latin-American Male, 42) another intoxicated
male interfered. He verbally criticized both
officers, but, more importantly, he was holding
an empty beer bottle in what the officers both
felt was a threatening manner. He was told
several times to leave, but refused to do so.
At this time, Noel and Davis turned their
attention to him and advised him that he was
under arrest.
During this time, a small crowd gathered and a
female, Rachel Garcia (Latin-American Female,
29) verbally inserted herself into the matter.
She made the comment, “If you are going to
mess with that Mexican, you are going to have
to mess with a bunch of us.” She then said
something in Spanish to Paul Deleon, which
neither Officer Noel nor Davis understood. It
was later learned from a witness that she was
saying, “pichalo.” This meant “stab him” or
“stick him” in Spanish.
While both officers were in the process of
arresting the second male, Deleon pulled a
knife from his waistband and struck Officer
Noel once in the chest just below the left
nipple. As is the case in most stabbings, only
p.m. in his East Texas hometown of Zavalla.
Burial followed at the Zavalla Cemetery.
Paul Deleon and Rachel Garcia were both
charged with the murder in the death of
Officer Noel. Garcia was obviously charged for
the encouragement and direction she provided
to Paul Deleon to commit the act. They went
on trial together in the 174th District Court
of Judge Ed Duggan. On September 22, 1972,
Rachel Garcia was found not guilty and Paul
Deleon was found guilty of murder with malice
aforethought and sentenced to twenty years in
the Texas Department of Corrections.
Twenty years for deliberately stabbing a
uniformed police officer to death was insulting
to the men and women in blue and probably
the vast majority of law-abiding Houstonians.
To make the situation even worse, records show
that Deleon apparently served less than six
years of his sentence since he was arrested on a
prohibited weapon (felony – licensed premises)
charge in April 1978.
It was believed that his parole was revoked at
that time and he was returned to TDC. He
became a free man, living in the Pasadena area
after recently serving a two-year sentence for
his fourth DWI conviction in 1997.
Officer David Franklin Noel
Officers C. L. Landrum, P. A. Thornton, J.
Deleon and J. L. Wright arrived and after they
and Officer Davis realized how serious Officer
Noel had been wounded, they put him in a
Patrol car and rushed him to Ben Taub General
Hospital. But he was pronounced dead on
arrival at 1:53 a.m. Saturday, June 17, 1972. He
was only twenty-eight.
Officer David Noel was survived by his wife
of nearly ten years, Ina Kay Noel, and two
daughters, six-year-old Sherry Diane Noel and
nineteen-month-old Shannon Denise Noel.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Noel Sr. of
Huntington, as well as four older sisters-Mrs.
Opal Jackson, Mrs. Bobby Ramsey, Mrs. Betty
Boone, and Patsy Cosby. Six older brothersJohn M. Jr., James, Charles, Robert, Paul, and
Ralph also survived him.
Funeral services were held at the Forest Park
Lawndale Chapel at 11 a.m. Monday, June 19,
with another service held later that day at 4:30
The department did no follow-up on Rachel
Garcia since she was not convicted.
Homicide Detectives Willie Cashmere and Earl
Haring conducted this investigation. Cashmere
later made lieutenant, retired in 1980 and died
in 1983. Haring transferred to Auto Theft in
the early 1980s and retired from HPD in 1991
to work for Harris County Constable Precinct
1. He retired from that position in May 2000
and passed away in 2009.
Officer J. R. Davis continued on with his
career, never forgetting the events of that
tragic night in the East End. He was
promoted to detective in 1976 and was
assigned to the Robbery Division. Jimmy
passed away in 2005 at the very young age of
fifty-eight. Officer C. L. Landrum, one of the
transporting and assisting officers, later made
sergeant and was assigned to the Training
Academy. P. A. Thornton resigned from HPD.
Officer J. Deleon, obviously no relation to the
convicted killer, retired from HPD in 1991 after
Obituaries
Ali
Syed Shawn Ali passed away May 11. He is the son of Retired Systems
Consultant Syed A. Ali, who was assigned to Technology Services
from February 1983 until his retirement in July 2011. Services were
held May 14.
Bankston
Retired Deputy Chief Fred B. Bankston, 80, passed away May 17.
He joined Police Academy Class No. 11 on April 19, 1954. He was
promoted to Deputy Chief on July 6, 1974, and retired on Oct. 20,
1982. Chief Bankston is survived by his wife of 59 years, Pauline
Bankston. Services were held May 20 with burial in Memorial
Oaks Cemetery.
Barnett
Sean Paul Barnett, 30, passed away May 17 after a long illness. He
is survived by his mother Charlotte Barnett and father, Retired Sgt.
Paul A. Giudilli, who retired Aug. 11, 2000. Services were held
May 24.
Bartee
Retired Customer Service Clerk Paula L. Bartee passed away April
17. She joined the department on April 9, 1984 and retired while last
assigned to the Records Division on May 12, 2009. Mrs. Bartee is
survived by her husband Mr. James Bartee. Services were held May 5.
Carbajal
Rosalinda Carbajal passed away on May. She is the mother of Police
Officer Enrique Carbajal. assigned to Clearlake Patrol. Services were
held May 23 with burial in Houston National Cemetery.
Dallas
Charles Dallas (71) passed away. He is the father-in-law of Police
Officer Rebecca A. Dallas, assigned to Special Operations / Mounted
Patrol. Services were held May 15.
Fagan
Patrick Fagan (19), a freshman at Stephen F. Austin University, was
involved in a vehicle accident and passed away on May 4. He is the
son of Senior Police Officer Eric W. Fagan and Jacqueline S. Fagan.
Eric is assigned to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Division.
Patrick Fagan is also survived by his sister, Fallon Fagan, and cousin,
Police Officer Marcus B. Fagan, assigned to the Northeast Division.
Services were held May 11 with burial in Paradise South Cemetery.
Grant
James Aster Grant, father of Retired Police Officer Calvin W. Grant,
passed away May 1. Officer Grant retired from the Department Jan.
16, 1999, when he was assigned to Central Patrol. Services were held
May 9 with burial in Houston National Cemetery.
Garcia
Mrs. Maria Elena Garcia, 75, passed away May 23. She is the mother
of Senior Police Officer Manuel E. Garcia, assigned to the Airport/
IAH Division. Private services were held May 27.
Hindmon
Mrs. Beatrice Waites Hindmon, 93, passed away on April 25. She
is the grandmother of Senior Police Officer Randall R. Robinson,
assigned to the Traffic Enforcement, Solo Motorcycle Detail, and
HCSO Deputy Jeff Robinson. Services were held April 29 with burial
in Talladega, Alabama.
Kennedy
Mr. Chucky L. Kennedy passed away on May 10. He is the stepfather
of Administrative Coordinator Natasha Bass, assigned to the Chief’s
Administration. Services were held in Pittsburg, Texas on May 18.
Klos
Mr. John L. Klos, 64, passed away on May 2. He is the
brother-in-law of Sgt. Rhonda P. Stepchinski, assigned to the
Criminal Intelligence Division, and Lt. Nigel J. Stepchinski, assigned
to the Robbery Division.Services were held May 8.
Mathis
Robert J. Mathis, Sr. (81) passed away on May 3. He is the father of
Management Analysis 4, Patricia A. Mathis, assigned to the Planning
Division, and former employee, Administration Manager Ron Adams,
who was assigned to the Academy. Services were held in Philadelphia.
Mba
Retired Administrative Specialist Lolita A. Mba passed away on
April 24. She joined the department on Aug. 28, 1995. During her
career, she served in the Technology Services Division and the Chief’s
Administration, and retired on March 30, 2013, while assigned to
the Employee Services Division. Services were held April 27 with
burial in Paradise South Cemetery.
Newman
Retired Detective Ned Newman, 93, passed away on April 29. He
joined Police Academy Class No. 7 on July 16, 1951. He was promoted to the rank of Detective on Dec. 16, 1959, and retired on
Feb. 3, 1976, while last assigned to the Homicide Division. Detective
Newman served in the United States Army, Signal Corps before joining the department. He is survived by his children, Joy Lynn Boyer
and Don Paul Newman. Services were held May 2 with burial in
Rosewood Cemetery in Houston.
Nixon
Mrs. Betty J. Nixon, R.N., 90, passed away on May 25. She is the
mother of Retired Senior Police Officer Rebecca J. Rogers, who is
married to Retired Senior Police Officer David L. Rogers. Services
were held May 30 with burial in Earthman Resthaven Cemetery.
O’Leary
Mr. Joseph Henry O’Leary, Jr., 83, of Silsbee passed away on April
30. He is the grandfather of Senior Police Officer Scott D. O’Leary,
assigned to the Southeast Division. Services were held May 4.
Palmeros
Julia M. Palmeros (75) passed away April 15. She is the mother-in-law
of Police Officer Robert F. Garcia, assigned to Crime Analysis and
Command Center. Services were held April 22 with burial in Forest
Park Lawndale.
Perez
Wagner
Mr. Paul Earl Wagner passed away on April 25. He is the father
of Human Resources Specialist Pamela E. Wagner, assigned to the
Alternative Dispute Resolution Office. Services were held May 4.
Walden
Retired Police Officer Willard L. Walden passed away May 8.
Officer Walden joined the Department Sept. 8, 1958 as a member of
Academy Class No. 19 and retired Feb. 9, 1981. During his tenure
with the Department he served in the Patrol Bureau, Central Garage,
and in the Field Operations Command office under Assistant Chief
McKeehan.
Whitlock
Mr. Boston Whitlock passed away on April 24. He is the grandfather
of Police Officer Reginald R. Veal, assigned to the Vehicular Crimes
Division. Services were held April 30 in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Mr. Hipolito Perez passed away on May 22. He is the father-in-law
of Senior Police Officer Miguel J. Ramirez, assigned to the Airport/
IAH Division. Services were held May 30 with burial in Houston
National Cemetery.
Wiley
Ponder
Whipple
Retired Senior Police Officer James D. Ponder passed away on May
1. He joined Police Academy Class No. 30 on May 25, 1964. During
his career, he served at the Northeast Division and retired on Jan. 26,
2002, while assigned to the Air Support Division. Officer Ponder is
survived by his wife, Linda Ponder. A private memorial service was
held.
Smith
Mrs. Roberta Smith passed away on May 4. She is the grandmother
of Administrative Associate Patricia A. Johnson, assigned to the
Records Division. Services were held May 11.
Obituaries
Helen Wiley passed away May 5. She is the mother of Mobility Service
Officer Richard D. White, assigned to the Traffic Enforcement
Division. Services were held May 11.
Mrs. Mary Patricia Whipple passed away on May 26. She is the wife
of Retired Detective David Thomas Whipple (Deceased).Detective
Whipple joined the Department as a member of Academy Class No.
5 on Sept. 25, 1950 and retired June 30, 1973. Services were held
May 31 with burial in Earthman Resthaven Cemetery.
Yzaguirre
Mrs. Luisa Yzaguirre, age 94, of Kerrville, passed away on May 20.
She is the grandmother of Sgt. Ignacio Izaguirre, assigned to the
Vehicular Crimes Division. Services were held May 22 with burial in
Mountain View Cemetery.
Strickling
Retired Sgt. Ronald Strickling passed away on May 19. He is a United
States Navy Veteran. Sgt. Strickling joined Police Academy Class No.
45 on June 22, 1970. During his career, he served in the Patrol
Bureau, Emergency Communications Division, Special Operations
Division, Southeast Division and Southwest Division. He retired on
Aug. 27, 1999, while last assigned to the South Gessner Division.
Sgt. Strickling is survived by his wife, Retired Office Assistant Lee
Ann Strickling, who retired Jan. 23, 1999, while last assigned to the
Criminal Intelligence Division. The Strickling’s have two daughters,
Virginia Barmore and Amelia Strickling-Vogel.
HPD Becomes Effective Policing Pioneer
with Advent of its Mental Health Division
By TOM KENNEDY
The Houston Police Department has become the first in the nation
with an entire full-time division devoted to cases involving mentally
ill citizens.
Effective May 25, Capt. Wendy Baimbridge began leading the new
Mental Health Division over a lieutenant, four sergeants and 20 officers.
The new division will be headquartered at the Sobering Center adjacent
to the Star of Hope Mission, north of the Harris County Courthouse
complex. The lieutenant in the division will be Mike Lee, a veteran in
the field of policing and the mentally ill in Houston.
Executive Assistant Chief Tim Oettmeier said the division answers “the
demand for specialized service responsibility to deal with consumers
coping with mental health problems. Their numbers have grown over
the years and will continue to grow. That’s no different than any other
city.”
Both Oettmeier and Baimbridge were pleased to indicate that HPD is
taking a national leadership position with the formation of the division,
whose specialized officers are needed to deal with a growing number of
war veterans returning to civilian life and experiencing post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD).
“I love the fact that it (the new division) is in Patrol in the call-for-service
loop. We will be there to really help them (Patrol officers) as well as help
the mentally ill and the homeless.”
Both the executive assistant chief and the captain are optimistic about
expanding the division in such ways to better serve this group, while also
keeping Patrol officers free to handle the more urgent calls for service.
Sgt. Patrick Ford, one of the four sergeants in the new division, has been
assigned to handle mental health cases for the last five years.
“We’ve been specializing in helping them (mentally troubled
Houstonians). The number of encounters we’ve had in the last five years
has grown from 45 cases to 280 cases.”
Granted, that’s a small number in the overall number of calls for service,
he said. But the nature of many of these cases requires officers with special training and expertise, especially to deal with the military veterans
who comprise the largest number of mental cases.
Each member of the new division will be CIT-trained. The division will
include HPD’s 10 Crisis Intervention Response Teams (CIRTs) as well
as the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT).
“We have to relieve patrol (officers) because they have to deal with these
folks,” Capt. Baimbridge said. “Many times they”re not doing anything
but bothering people and people call patrol out for that.
Besides Ford, the sergeants in the division will be Sgt. Steve Wick, head
of the HOT team; Sgt. Marko Loera, investigations supervisor; and Sgt.
Joseph Ramirez, head of the night shift CIRT teams.
second marriage-Melissa Holmes and Jamie Holmes. In a recent tragic
development, Mrs. Ina Kay Noel Spurlock passed away in March, 2007,
as the result of a traffic accident. She was 62 years of age.
a long career at Northeast Patrol. Officer J. L. Wright, a rookie at the time,
left HPD after ten years. He spent the next ten years in law enforcement
in Houston County, Texas, but returned to HPD in 1992 as a lateral
entry officer, assigned to the Homicide Division. Jerry retired from HPD
in 2004.
In 2007, Ina Kay Noel Spurlock and husband, Retired HPD Detective
Danny Spurlock, live in Alba, Texas, near Lake Fork. Daughter Sherry
Howard and her husband, Mitchell Howard, live in Tennessee and
have a son, David Howard (16), a namesake for David Noel. Daughter
Shannon Montes and her husband, Greg Montes, live in Lufkin
and have two daughters, Hilari Montes (11) and Emily Montes (9).
Kay said she and David grew up in the Huntington-Zavalla area as
childhood sweethearts and that one of her brothers married David’s
sister Betty. Sherry and Shannon have two sisters from their Mom’s
In 2007, both of David’s parents are deceased as is David’s sister, Mrs.
Bobby Ramsey, and brothers James and Paul. The remainder of the Noel
siblings are still living.
Officer David Noel, a graduate of Police Cadet Class No. 34, was not
the first in his class to be killed in the line of duty. Just one month after
this class “hit the streets,” Officer Louis R. Kuba was killed on May 17,
1967, at the Texas Southern University riot.
Unfortunately, David was not the last in that last to lose his life in the
line of duty. Yet another classmate, Detective Daryl W. Shirley, was
killed while attempting the arrest of a fugitive in April 1982.
In Memory of…
June - Houston Police Officers
Slain in the Line of Duty
Davie Murdock 06-27-1921
Worth Davis 06-17-1928
Oscar Hope 06-22-1929
Noel R. Miller 06-06-1958
Floyd T. Deloach, Jr. 06-30-1965
Ben E. Gerhart 06-26-1968
Bobby L. James 06-26-1968
David E. Noel 06-17-1972
Jerry L. Riley 06-18-1974
Timothy L. Hearn 06-08-1978
James B. Irby 06-27-1990
Gary Allen Gryder 06-29-2008
Jeter Young 06-19-1921
George Edwards 06-30-1939
Let us Never Forget...
Henry Canales 06-23-2009
Psych Services
Stress – is there an App for it?
Yes! Even more than one
By LISA GARMEZY
I have no business writing this. Tech-savvy, I’m not. But when a
psychologist friend convinced me her clients manage stress with the help
of phone apps, I started investigating.
Breathe2Relax (free) tops everyone’s recommended list. B2R teaches
you to “belly breathe” to calm yourself and restore your body’s energy.
The program leads you through deep breathing relaxation exercises,
complete with the soothing pictures and sounds of your choice. The
default pace of the app seemed a little crazed to me, but it’s easily changed.
Like B2R, PTSD Coach was developed by the Department of Defense
and is free for Android or Apple devices. You don’t have to have
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to benefit from it. The program leads
you through tensing and releasing your muscles to achieve what’s called
progressive muscle relaxation, which leaves people feeling deeply relaxed.
There are programs to create soothing sounds so you can sleep or calm
down. Carol likes Relax Melodies ($3, Android or Apple), the Amazon
app store App of the Year last year. It shuts itself off once you or your
child have dropped off to sleep. (Fun project for older siblings: make a
naptime mixtape for the new baby.) Ambiance ($3 for Android or Apple)
gives you 2,500 sounds to combine to improve relaxation, sleep or focus.
Keeping a journal reduces stress, so I checked out Day One ($5), the
Mac 2012 App of the Year. It’s an easy-to-use log for ideas, workout
progress, children’s behavior or anything else. Day One is searchable,
so in a family health record, for example, you can quickly find entries
about “Junior’s knee.” You can easily password-protect your journal,
customize your font and create timelines and tags.
The mechanical voice is less serene than a human one, but no one said
apps would put psychologists out of business.
Some of the stress management benefits of journaling, however, come
from expressing worries in an uncensored fashion and then literally
closing the book on them. You tell yourself the issues got all the
attention they need for the day, and you move on. Writing on a device
you carry with you and consult constantly might not have the same effect.
Research shows that the breathing and muscle relaxation techniques
taught in these programs improve health and mood when practiced
consistently. Both DoD apps support assessing your stress level and
tracking it over time, so you can check your progress. I would highly
recommend either one.
Another colleague recommends Stress Tracker (free, Android and Apple).
Five-minute calming exercises are part of its “Rage Control Program”
($2 in-app purchase).Thinking outside the app, the Internet offers almost
unimaginable free resources. Lately I’ve been recommending the Navy
anger management self-help guide – Google those six words to find it.
A Therapist in Your Pocket?
What You’ll Gain
My friend Carol also recommended “MoodKit,“ so I invested $5. I tried
it on a day that offered more than the average amount of stress. “What
was the situation?” my phone asked. “Husband is a pain,” I typed in.
After 29 years of marriage—some days are like that.
Loads of other apps can smooth rough spots in your life. If an exercise
app keeps you motivated, it’s a stress-reduction tool for you. So is a
user-friendly way to manage your financial records, or an assertiveness
training program to teach you to say no, if you need it. Strengthening
spiritual practices can give you peace: check your app store for “daily
Bible devotion.”
I was asked to describe my mood. The alphabetical list quickly offered
“annoyed,” which nailed it. Next, the program asked my thoughts about
the situation. I wrote, “He gripes too much.”
To my dismay the next screen wondered whether I perceived the
situation correctly. MoodKit said I could be blaming when I should be
problem-solving, taking things too personally, or making any of a dozen
other errors. I just wanted Siri to say her man gave her trouble too.
I kept going, but the next time the app asked me if I was annoyed, I felt
worse, not better. MoodKit highlights the cognitive errors which create
many problems. With a therapist’s guidance, it could be great. You’d
have to be highly motivated to consistently use it on your own.
Still Shopping
Other apps teach yoga and meditation, which also have proven stress
reduction effects. Cleveland Clinic Stress Meditations ($1) offers images
to guide you through relaxing meditation on themes such as Letting
Go, Self Confidence, and Loving Kindness. Yoga 101 (free) puts you on
an ancient path to serenity.
With the advent of Smartphones, we have all become gamers. Distraction
from ever-present problems is a legitimate stress management tool and
slicing fruit ninja-style is so very satisfying. Gamers provide a brief
positive experience and moments of feeling connected to friends.
If stress is an issue for you, don’t stop there. The programs described
here offer so much more.
Learn to use your breathing or muscle relaxation or journal to relax and
you have gained the capacity for emotional self-regulation.
You have learned to take an unpleasant mood and alter it, when and
where you need to. Maybe these things could put psychologists out of
business after all.
We’d love to hear about stress management apps that worked for
you. Share your story the old-fashioned way, by phone or e-mail to
lisa.garmezy@houstonpolice.net.
SUPPORT PAC, IT PAYS BIG RETURNS
Transportation
2011 Custom Bbq Concession Trailer $17000 OBO
Perfect for Catering, Events, BBQ Competitions,
Concessions, etc. Trailer features 2 Pits & 1 Rib Smoker
(fit up to 18 briskets), Outside Firebox, Air Conditioner,
Breaker Box, Double Sink, 1 Separate Hand-Wash Sink,
Waste Holding Water Tank, Fresh Water Tank, WaterPump, Serving Window, Washable-Formica Laminated
Counter Tops, Vinyl Linoleum Flooring, cabinets for
storage, Lockable Entry Door, tandem Axle, and Briggs
Stratton 900 Generator. For more information please
email Jennifer at hefnersemail@gmail.com
2001 Yamaha V-Star 650 custom paint job
with airbrushed skulls. Hard chrome exhaust, Baron
Drag handle bars, Forward Controls, Shaved rear fender,
license plate side mount, Hypercharger intake, skull
hand mirrors and much more. Firm on price, cash only,
no trades, no payment plan, no test drive. $5500 cash.
Text Juan 713-269-4222. Serious buyers only please.
2006 Suzuki Hayabusa 1300cc Silver/Blue color,
1300cc, it has full Muzzy exhaust, Rear LED Tail light,
HID headlight, Lowering Kit, Rear steel brake line, rear
wave rotor, license plate side mount, current mileage
is 6,194 miles. Firm on price, cash only, no trades, no
payment plan, no test drive. $7500 cash. Text Juan 713269-4222. Serious buyers only please.
2005 Harley-Davidson FatBoy 15th Yr. Edition
Black with silver pin stripe, 16K miles, Great condition!!
Python staggered dual pipes with Stage 1 kit installed by
H-D sounds great! lowering kit, side license plate mount
LED brake light, some custom parts, $9,900 obo.
Call or text Augustine 832-577-4373 pls leave msg.
08 CVO Road King $21,000 obo. This bike is
gorgeous, must see In person to appreciate. It has 33K
well taken care of miles. Contact Josh 281-704-0176
2006 Harley-Davidson Heritage Soft Tail
jade and black lots of chrome, 6 speed screaming
eagle trans. 15,500 Miles some warranty left will
take $15,000 Contact Bob Reinhardt 281-851-7600
2008 BMW R1200 RT-P (police) Motorcycle
Original owner, ridden daily and maintained parade
spotless throughout, within past 1500 miles new
tires (oem Conti RoadAttack), 4 new spark plugs,
new brake pads front and rear. $12,000. Contact
Wil 832-922-7820 or willywilborn@yahoo.com
2008 Roadmaster Trailer, 27', V-Nose, Tram axle
7,000 pd, GW VR 14,000 pds, 8' wide. Ramp and
side door, sky light, air vent, E-Torec system with
connectors, Sway bar weight disc system, electric
brakes with safety cable, new spare, all like new
$10,000.00 Call 936-635-9326
Project Truck 1955 Chevy Pickup
No motor or transmission, painted pearl white and
sub framed, new window seals and glass, new rims
and tires. $8000.00 Call Thomas for more details
281-703-7521
2007 Harley-Limited Production Screaming
Eagle Road King. Black with factory custom flame
paint. Less than 5K miles. Bike has $20,000 in
factory extra asking $35,000. J.T. Templeton
817-480-1543 or 817-321-8645
For Rent/Lease/Sale
Galveston, TX. - beach lot for rent $25.00 per day,
on the beach side. Contact Lisa at (832) 755-6159
37.22 Acres with Minerals near Lovelady. Pasture,
2 ponds, pecan orchard, hardwoods, 3/2 trailer,
cabin, sheds, water well, septic, $343k, 936-222-1565
Home For Sale: North Spring Area
$104,000. For details Contact Chris 713-906-3447
1 bd/1ba Condo For Sale Bryan/College Station
Walking distance to Texas A&M and 5 min. drive
to Blinn, on university bus route. Perfect for your
college student. Brand new central air, all appliance
including washer and dryer included, fireplace, large
walk-in closet and balcony, $48,500. Realtor Charlotte
Broesche/Gary Green Better Homes, 713-299-7573
Colorado River property 35 min from Houston.
Beautiful 24+ acre tracts of land on the bank of the
Colorado River. Covered with huge Live Oak trees
and County Rd access. Each tract has more than a
hundred yards of river frontage for fishing, swimming,
boating or waterfowl. Tracts are 100% wooded and
covered with Whitetail deer, hog and other wildlife.
This Riverfront property is absolutely gorgeous and an
awesome location for a weekend getaway, permanent
residence or merely an investment property. Property
had same owner for last 50 years and is basically
undisturbed. 12k acre, property will not be broken
up in small tracts to maintain all land owners privacy.
If interested in owning your own riverfront property
for personal or family recreation, please call or text
361-208-4055.
Lake Conroe/Del Lago Resort, Lot on the Golf
Course with Lake View. Contact retired
Officer J. L. Sanders at 281-376-1040.
email: jansan739@sbcglobal.net
For Sale. 6320 Westcreek Pearland. Unrestricted
on .75 acres, remodeled interior, separate workshop.
Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors. Diane Mireles,
281-723-2888.
LOT FOR SALE in Grimes County!! 1 1/2 acre
OWNER FINANCING available. $40,000.
In a gated community, three fishing lakes, pool,
volleyball court, equestrian center and one horse
per acre allowed. Deed restricted on a corner cul de
sac, cleared lot with the exception of oak trees and
exterior border of the property. $5,000 down and
$274 per month till paid in full. Pick your due date.
Contact Lisa at 832 755-6159
4000 sq ft Home on 2+ acres - 3 minutes from
Lake Sam Rayburn access. Must see $250,000.00
Phone 936-635-9326
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo for rent
(2nd floor).North West; 7402 Alabonson #708,
Houston, TX 77088 "Inwood Pines"; 290/Bingle
area. Available for move in 12-01-2011, very quiet
complex, minutes from downtown. $685 per month.
Officer M. Douglas 832-687-4985 after 10:30 am.
Apartment Specials! Licensed Real Estate Agent
with Texas Apt. Locators. Tammy (HPD wife)
281-507-9405 or Tammy@texashomeagent.net
Free service! Houston/Galveston area. Ask about
rebates. Sorry, can’t help with free apartment extra
jobs but, I do have a database full of apartments
offering officer discounts. I work with bad credit,
broken leases, large dogs, students, & all price
ranges. Save time and money going with a locator.
Wooded Interior Lot in Westwood Shores on Lake
Livingston, golf, camping, tennis, swimming, and
boating $1200, Please call Kim 832-768-6612
New Listing! - $259,900 Charming custom built
brick home finished in 1999 on 1.5 acres of oaks,
cedars, youpons and abundant wildlife. 3/2/2,
CH/CA, recent upgrades including Silestone
Countertops, Polywood Plantation Shutters
throughout, Tile and Laminate flooring, some
carpet. Well, Septic, and La Grange ISD. Six miles
South of La Grange off FM 609 on Valenta Rd.,
one mile down, red brick house on left. Owners
relocating. Offered by Realtor/Owner Vickey
Grieger - (979) 249-667
Great country get away. Small 2 bd/2 ba house
near Hearne Tx. Near plenty of hunting leases, golf
course, and brazos river fishing. 450/month plus
deposit. Greg @ 281-330-7778
2 Bedroom 2 Bath Condo Tapatio Springs in
Boerne, Texas Completely furnished.
Call Retired Sgt H.A. Stevens 877-522-4455
One Acre Lot in Elgin, TX Off Hwy.95, Near
290. The lot is in an exclusive and restricted gated
community (The Arbor of Dogwood Creek). The
subdivision has paved road, tennis court, jogging
trail, pavillion and more. This wooded lot is located
in a cul-de-sac. Asking $26,000. Contact M.L.
Sistrunk 281-788-0256
Great Home in Rockport, TX Built in 2005, this
Comfortable 3/2 bath single story stucco home
is located in a gated community on 12.33 acres.
Amenities include: tile roof, heated pool and hot
tub, attached oversized 3 car garage (30x35), and a
large detached metal workshop (36x36) with large
garage doors and a 15 ton hoist, covered patio areas
both in front and back, a circle drive, and plenty of
room for parking. There are two stocked fishing ponds,
and horses are allowed. Priced to sell. For info
contact Rebecca Lee @ 361-729-4404, Coldwell
Banker MLS ID#113208.
Two Five Acre Lots in Rosharon, Texas, sun
creek ranch 1 section. agg exemption available, large
oak trees, cleared for building. $89,900 each tract.
Raul Yzquierdo 713-213-7651
What an amazing deal! Charming three bedroom two bath patio home located in a great gated
community at 3123 Lavender Candle Dr. Spring,
TX. Property includes a two car attached garage,
master suite, cozy fire place and much more for
only $1,300.00 month. Price is negotiable. Please
contact Officer Edith Maldonado at 832-434-4266
or edi2m@aol.com.
Summer Rental Galveston Beach House. 3br 2
bath. Sleeps 8-10. Great Gulf view just steps from
the beach. Newly renovated/updated. H.L. Richter
HPD (ret) 936-329-1456
1 Bedroom Unit For Rent Village Wood Town homes
1529 Wirt Rd/Spring Branch. Utilities paid. Basic
cable. Excellent Location. Joe Scott 713-935-9137
Lake Livingston Townhome 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bath
For rent Call 832-876-5511 or 713-459-8111
House for Rent: Bear Creek Area. 3 Bedroom/
Game room. Cy-Fair School District. Swimming
Pool. $1095.00/month. Call 832-282-5216.
Classifieds
Miscellaneous
Crypt For Sale Forest Park Westheimer Excellent
location “Inside” Ready to sell 281-686-9490
Remington 700 .243 Win caliber. BDL Custom
Deluxe model Bolt Action rifle with 22” barrel,
gloss finish, 5-shot capacity, and walnut stock.
Mint in box. Paid $925 in 1996. Asking $675.
Call James 713-503-5107
Brookside Memorial Park Cemetery
Section 234, Spaces 2 & 3 $2650 per space
catdog02@embarqmail.com 254-947-8524
Garden Park Cemetery, Conroe, Texas. Lawn
Crypt section 4 , lot 30, spaces 7&8. Very well kept
Cemetery, 4,000 ea. Call Doug Bell 817-573-1675
Brookside Memorial Park Spaces 2, 3, 4, 5
Section 234 (Masonic Section) $2250 per space
catdog02@embarqmail.com
Two cemetery lots. Grandview Memorial Park
8500 Spencer highway in Pasadena. The Cemetery
sells the lots for $2200 each. We are asking $8000
for both. Call Charlie Everts 409 9359199
Handcrafted leather cross key chains tooled
and personalized, $1.50 each (including shipping).
Limit 5 letters, chain included. Other products
available. For more info or to order call Justin, 14
year old son of an HPD Officer, at 936-499-4385
Westwood Campng Club Membership, Trinity,
Texas, $3,500.00 / OBO Retired Officer A.L.
Albritton 936-890-4374 or 830-221-5152
FREE MONEY: $2,000 COMMISSION
REBATE to HPOU members when they
buy or sell a house. James Cline, Realtor,
281-548-3131 or www.2cashback.org
Magnetic Signs white 24”x6” with
“POLICE” in bold 21”x5” black letters. Pair $25.
Call 936-327-3205 HPD Parents company
Services
De’Vine Events Planning a wedding is stressful,
but it doesn’t have to be. For all your wedding
needs, Contact Diana, Certified Wedding
Consultant at (713) 598-4931.
For All Your Gun and Ammo Needs
Black Gold Guns & Ammo. Buy, Sell & Trade
713-694-4887
Aurelia E Weems, CPA formerly Dumar
Consulting returns to HPOU for its 9th Year to
provide discounted tax services for officers and
their families. Please watch for us on Mondays and
Thursdays from 9:00am-2:00pm at the Union
building at 1602 State Street. We are available to
meet at any HPD location for the ease of the officers
as well as accept information via email or fax.
If you have any questions please contact Aurelia E
Weems, CPA at (936) 273-1188 or (281) 363-4555
or visit us on the web at www.aewcpa.com
TAX PREPAR ATION From Home Office. Low
Fees - $65 up. L. Dexter Price, CPA. ldexterprice@
comcast.net 713.826.4777
Are you tired of making the same New Year's
Resolution? Are you ready to take control of your
life? We have solutions, take control of your health,
time & finances! For more info. Please call: Stacy @
832-651-5739
Residential and Commercial Remodeling
Kitchens and counter tops, ceramic and
wood floors, interior and exterior painting, handyman services, with discount prices
for the Law Enforcement family.
Larry Baimbridge, Sr. 281-655-4880
Gold Rush Tax Service 281-399-3188
Same Day Refund Special Police Officer
RatesBrenda Webb (retired officer’s wife)
brenda@goldrushtax.com
Tax Preparation From Home Office 40% - 50%
Lower Fees. Contact for estimate L. Dexter Price,
CPA ldexterprice@comcast.net 832.243.1477
Main Street Builders Residential and Commercial
Construction Licensed and Insured. David Webber
(owner) Rt HPD 832-618-2009
Gone Fishing wantafishtx.com Jim Hobsonretired 936-615-2777 or love2fish@suddenlink.net
Vickey Grieger, Realtor Cell: (979) 249-6675
Fax: (775) 373-5048 texashousemouse@yahoo.com
TSR Country Properties 115 West Fayette Street,
Fayetteville, TX 78940 Office (979) 378-2222
Fax (979) 378-2240
Hunting Weekend Expedition Affordable prices,
private property. Whitetails, exotics & pigs. Call for
details Officer Mike Gonzalez 713-702-5838 or
email gmiguel@att.net
Houston’s Wedding People Wedding Services,
Wedding cakes, Decorations, Chair covers, Favors
Call today for free taste testing and consultation
281-881-5027 www.houstonsweddingpeople.com
Mini Storage Police officer discount.
290 area. Call Dave for details 713-460-4611
MOMs Helping MOMs Work from Home!
Computer Required. www.myhomebiz4u.com
Why rent when you can own while keeping your
monthly payments about the same. For more info
call 281-914-7351
Paula A. Weatherly Independent Avon
Representative To buy or sell AVON, contact me!
Lots of great products at unbelievable prices! Start
your AVON career for only $10! a97ag@earthlink.
net or www.youravon.com/pweatherly 281-8528605 Smile! Jesus Loves Us!
Heroes wear Badges Let your loved ones show
off their pride of you being one of Houston’s finest.
I will personalize items with machine-embroidered
replicas of your badge including your badge
number (Sgt, Lt, Capt replica badges also available)
Items that are available are t-shirts, Koozies,
purses/bags and other items. For pictures and
prices just e-mail me at Sibyl@Scottclan.net or call
me at 713-941-0902 or 832-217-0893 Sibyl Scott
(retired officer’s wife) www.freewebs.com/sibylscott
Discount on Moonwalk Rentals
Rent a moonwalk for your special occasion.
We deliver and pick up so you don’t have to! Please
call Officer Chris DeAlejandro at 713-922-8166 or
Carla DeAlejandro at 713-384-5361. Please let us
know that you’re Law Enforcement Personal.
All natural skin care products for the whole family.
Handmade soaps, lotions and body scrubs will
nourish you skin. Great for gifts and everyday use.
Ask about our Mother’s Day special. Call Lisa and
Jim at 936-648-6145 or www.goodcleanlivin.com.
Home Inspections by TexaSpec Inspections.
Free foundation evaluations and alarm systems for
HPD. State Licensed ICC Certified Inspector.
281-370-6803.
Have a special day coming up? Let us make it
even more special with Eten Candy custom chocolate
candies. From birthdays, weddings, and every holiday.
We even do bachelor and bachelorette parties. Why not
have party favors that everyone will remember and talk
about. Just e-mail Jessica at etencandy@sbcglobal.com
for more info. Candies are made to suit your needs
Need help in forgiving or forgetting.
Call Linda McKenzie for more info on Christ
centered counseling services 282-261-2952
or 832-250-6016 where everyone is given the
opportunity for a fresh start
Your Travel, Tax, Health, & Nutritional needs.
We can get you where you want to go, and keep you
healthy doing it. Contact Greg & Cathy Lewis 832969-0502 or 832 969 0503
“Photos to Albums”. Your memories creatively
designed in an album. Any occasion, celebration,
family trips. Call Theresa Arlen at 832-229-6292.
Piano Lessons: 30 minutes for $15.00.Student
Recitals. Call Daniel Jones at
281-487-9328 or cell: 713-557-4362
Calling All Mothers of Houston Police Officers.
As a proud mother of a Houston Police Officer, I
am interested in starting a support group of Mothers
of Houston Police Officers (MOHPO). I need
your support. Please call me for more info: Frances
Runnels at 713-436-0794 after 6 p.m. weekdays.
Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers
A place for Christians to come together and
encourage one another. For information about
other activities visit www.fcpohouston.org.
Wanted
HPD Commemorative Pistols I'm looking to buy
one or two of the HPD commemorative pistols. I
seem to recall they were offered around 1978-1982.
Joe Salvato (Ret.) 281-728-0131
Wanted Beretta 9MM FS “Police Special” (Black
or Stainless) Please call Zach (832) 457-0647.
Wanted Top CA$H Paid for your used or unwanted
guns. Blackgold Guns & Ammo 713 694 4867
Police Officer Owned
Colt .45 HPD Commemorative Pistol
Call Paul 713-240-4672
2 Horse Trailer or 14 - 16 ft. Stock Trailer. Bumper
Pull. R. Webb 281-399-1212 Cell 713-822-1867
Looking for a home or bare land? Contact retired
officer, DALLAS BINGLEY at Kerrville Realty - in
the Heart of the Texas Hill Country: (O) 830-8962200 or (M) 830-739-1766 dallasb@dallasb.name

The President`s Message - Houston Police Officers Union

Transcription

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