As Trump Makes Police Unaccountable, Whitmire's Houston Police Union Contract Makes It Harder To Discipline HPD

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​The City of Houston and the Houston Police Officer's "union" have signed a new contract. The contract is for a lot of money which is addressed in this article from NPR station KUHF. While I will have something to say on that soon, budget issues are somewhat outside my work on the Houston Democracy Project. 

​(Above is a city picture of the announcement of the contract.)

What concerns me here is that the new contract makes it more difficult to discipline Houston Police officers. 

​From The Houston Chronicle:

"The tentative agreement will also give officers the opportunity to reduce any suspensions of three days or less down to discipline without a suspension and give those suspended five days or less the opportunity to use up to 10 days. Officers will only be orally interrogated by internal affairs if criminal activity is suspected...Officers who are called to court will also receive a minimum four hours of overtime, compared to the existing two-hour minimum, records show."

To make it more difficult to discipline police officers here in Houston as Trump is issuing executive orders allowing police officers to run wild and outlining how the military will be cooperating with local police is really something. It's a slap in the face to freedom-loving Houstonians & a public safety menace as protest becomes more and more essential. 

Tell Houston City Council that they must have our backs.  Here is how to follow and contact Council: 

Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and the most recent session is available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council.

Below is the text of Trump's order. You should read it and be able to speak to it so everybody knows what is going on and how best to respond. 

Here is the order: 
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By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  Safe communities rely on the backbone and heroism of a tough and well-equipped police force.  My Administration is steadfastly committed to empowering State and local law enforcement to firmly police dangerous criminal behavior and protect innocent citizens. 
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When local leaders demonize law enforcement and impose legal and political handcuffs that make aggressively enforcing the law impossible, crime thrives and innocent citizens and small business owners suffer.  My Administration will therefore:  establish best practices at the State and local level for cities to unleash high-impact local police forces; protect and defend law enforcement officers wrongly accused and abused by State or local officials; and surge resources to officers in need.  My Administration will work to ensure that law enforcement officers across America focus on ending crime, not pursuing harmful, illegal race- and sex-based “equity” policies. 

The result will be a law-abiding society in which tenacious law enforcement officers protect the innocent, violations of law are not tolerated, and American communities are safely enjoyed by all their citizens again.

Sec. 2.  Legal Defense of Law Enforcement Officers.  The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to create a mechanism to provide legal resources and indemnification to law enforcement officers who unjustly incur expenses and liabilities for actions taken during the performance of their official duties to enforce the law.  This mechanism shall include the use of private-sector pro bono assistance for such law enforcement officers.

Sec. 3.  Empowering State and Local Law Enforcement.  (a) The Attorney General and other appropriate heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall take all appropriate action to maximize the use of Federal resources to:
(i)    provide new best practices to State and local law enforcement to aggressively police communities against all crimes;
(ii)   expand access and improve the quality of training available to State and local law enforcement;
(iii)  increase pay and benefits for law enforcement officers;
(iv)   strengthen and expand legal protections for law enforcement officers; 
(v)    seek enhanced sentences for crimes against law enforcement officers;
(vi)   promote investment in the security and capacity of prisons; and
(vii)  increase the investment in and collection, distribution, and uniformity of crime data across jurisdictions.
(b)  Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General shall review all ongoing Federal consent decrees, out-of-court agreements, and post-judgment orders to which a State or local law enforcement agency is a party and modify, rescind, or move to conclude such measures that unduly impede the performance of law enforcement functions.

Sec. 4.  Using National Security Assets for Law and Order.  (a)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of agencies as appropriate, shall increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement.
(b)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.

Sec. 5.  Holding State and Local Officials Accountable. The Attorney General shall pursue all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures to enforce the rights of Americans impacted by crime and shall prioritize prosecution of any applicable violations of Federal criminal law with respect to State and local jurisdictions whose officials:
(a)  willfully and unlawfully direct the obstruction of criminal law, including by directly and unlawfully prohibiting law enforcement officers from carrying out duties necessary for public safety and law enforcement; or    
(b)  unlawfully engage in discrimination or civil-rights violations under the guise of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives that restrict law enforcement activity or endanger citizens.

Sec. 6.  Use of Homeland Security Task Forces.  The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall utilize the Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTFs) formed in accordance with Executive Order 14159 of January 20, 2025 (Protecting the American People Against Invasion) to coordinate and advance the objectives of this order.

Here is the Houston Democracy Project list of things each of us can do to fight Trump/Musk. Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.

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