Landmark Police Reform Has Come to Houston

[TexasTowelie]

Will newly announced police reforms bring about true and sustainable change at the Houston Police Department and serve as a model for America as it relates to police accountability?


Back in September 2020, the Houston Forward Times published an article entitled, “Police Reform NOW!” which highlighted the push within the City of Houston to have more accountability and oversight when it comes to the Houston Police Department (HPD) and other law enforcement agencies across the Greater Houston area.

After the murder of native Houstonian George Floyd last year, the Houston Forward Times also pointed out in the aforementioned article that five out of six African American members of the Houston City Council at that time (Martha Castex-Tatum, District K; Jerry Davis, District B; Edward Pollard, District J; Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, District D; and Tiffany D. Thomas, District F) submitted a letter to Mayor Sylvester Turner strongly suggesting that the City and HPD immediately implement several of the proposed law enforcement policy reforms and policy recommendations they were introducing.

In response to that letter, as well as the outcry for change in the City and across the country, Mayor Turner formed the Mayor’s Task Force on Policing Reform to improve accountability, transparency, change police policies and build mutual trust and respect with the community.

In a landmark announcement made on April 29th, Mayor Turner and the Houston City Council joined newly hired HPD Police Chief Troy Finner, the Mayor’s Task Force on Policing Reform Chair Larry Payne, Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Persse and several others to unveil and announce the City of Houston’s plan to implement a significant number of the recommendations submitted by the Mayor’s Task Force on Policing Reform, which include the following:

Read more: https://forwardtimes.com/landmark-police-reform-has-come-to-houston/