Whitmire Has Unlimited HPD Overtime For Protests Attended By Rank & File Dems/Pro-Democracy Houstonians Merit City Support

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​There have been many concerns about the amount of overtime $'s being used by the Houston Police Department.

Mayor Whitmire was asked about the overtime at a press conference last Wednesday, 6/10. You see him in his response above. He said a good portion of the overtime comes from "..storms, protests, tragedy...."

Mayor Whitmire has repeatedly cited protest as a reason for the police overtime. I've heard him say it four times. So I'm certain he has said it many more times than that.  

I've written here before about HPD often over-polices protest. It seems sometimes they just have too many resources. 

Here is what Mayor Whitmire has said about the overtime: 

"Historically, overtime requests for the Houston Police Department have been driven by major storms, special events, and protests. These are services that are needed and requested by Houstonians. I believe failing to adequately fund HPD overtime is equivalent to defunding the police."

Below you see signs I saw today on a Houston lawn.  

It's important to understand who is attending the protests that Mayor Whitmire says merit unlimited HPD overtime.

These protests are in most part attended by rank & file Democrats concerned about losing democracy. This  is who has been attending No Kings and the various weekly and bridge overpass protests across Houston and the Houston-region. Every single one of these very many events has been peaceful. Most of the people--not all of course--are rank & file Democrats. 

If Mayor Whitmire wants to keep an eye on extremist threats to Houston, he had a great chance to do so last week when the Texas State Republican Convention was in town. It was a hate-fest. 
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This is not about the police officers themselves. People who attend protests want and merit security. We need protection from the right. 

But it is important to understand just who it is that Mayor Whitmire is looking to police with unlimited resources. It's not the aggressor. Mayor Whitmire has stated clearly that Governor Abbott's opinion is the only one "that matters." He's never lifted a finger to support pro-democracy efforts in Houston. 

​Houstonians with Talarico and democracy signs have heard clearly the threats to interfere in 2026 elections and the racial hate coming from the Republican Party. We deserve a City of Houston government that fights for democracy, rather than viewing Houstonians who want to live freely as people to be contained with unlimited police resources. 

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