Tag Archives: Sheriff

How much would you pay for those inmates?

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County has a new plan for dealing with its overflow jail population. Under the new plan, the county’s purchasing agent would ask for all interested bidders to submit their lowest prices for taking inmates, much like it does for … Continue reading →

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The county’s budget woes

Posted on September 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t look now, but Harris County is running really low on cash. The $154 million reserve fund Harris County started its fiscal year with is expected to be nearly gone by March as it gets spent to cover shortfalls in … Continue reading →

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Grits visits the Harris County jail

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a thoughtful post by Scott Henson on his visit to the Harris County jail and the proposed booking center, which was touted as a gateway primarily for arrestees with mental health issues. While acknowledging the need for more resources … Continue reading →

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Eversole and Radack get jail overcrowding religion

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Actually, what County Commissioners Jerry Eversole and Steve Radack have is a case of criticize-the-Sheriff-itis. Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole implied at meeting earlier today that the county’s sheriff, Adrian Garcia, acted improperly and wasted tax payer money when he … Continue reading →

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More on the proposed booking center

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

On the Houston Politics blog, Chris Moran follows up on his reporting about the new “booking center” proposal with information about how it may play out in Commissioners Court. The city of Houston has designated $31 million to help fund … Continue reading →

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The 287(g) committee

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Sheriff Adrian Garcia has formed a citizens advisory panel on how to screen for undocumented immigrants in the jails. The advisory committee will not debate whether to continue the screening program, Garcia said. It will suggest ways he can improve … Continue reading →

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Jail passes another state inspection

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good news for the Harris County jails: They passed another surprise state inspection by a Texas Commission on Jail Standards team last week. “This certificate of compliance is a direct result of your department’s commitment to excellence and further attests, … Continue reading →

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Still focusing on overtime

Posted on May 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Annise Parker talks again about trying to control HPD and HFD overtime costs as a way of bridging the city’s budget shortfall. Mayor Annise Parker provided an early picture of how she intends to close a $140 million budget … Continue reading →

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HPD and HFD overtime

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As is the case with the Harris County Sheriff’s office, the Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department spend a lot of money on overtime. A Houston Chronicle analysis shows that most of the money — $50 million — went … Continue reading →

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Some of my best friends are white people

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been trying to figure out this new group for Caucasian Sheriff’s deputies. I’ve had the good fortune to have worked for an organization that takes diversity and inclusiveness seriously. They had a number of employee-created networking groups that were … Continue reading →

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Fixing overtime

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Sunday Chron had a cover story about overtime expenses in the Sheriff’s department. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office spent $32.6 million on overtime in Sheriff Adrian Garcia’s first year as the county’s top lawman, $22.6 million of it at … Continue reading →

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First steps in dealing with jail overcrowding

Posted on April 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

They’re baby steps, but they’re in the right direction. The first of 20 county inmates to get their sentences reduced by two-thirds for completing job training will get out of jail Monday. The experiment marks Sheriff Adrian Garcia’s first tentative … Continue reading →

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Here comes the county budget

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Considering how gloom-and-doomy the reports have been, this is downright sunny. Commissioners Court today will consider a $1.4 billion budget that cuts spending by about 3.2 percent from the fiscal year that ended on Feb. 28. The spending blueprint does … Continue reading →

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A county budget threefer

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Three items of interest in the news that relate to the Harris County budget. – Contemplating cremation Commissioners Court this morning discussed possibly changing to a cremate-first policy at Harris County’s public cemetery. A report from the cemetery director projects … Continue reading →

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The county budget blues

Posted on February 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The news keeps being bad. Not unexpected, but bad. During hearings last month, department heads said worst-case scenarios could mean layoffs, less mosquito spraying, tax office closures and fewer resources to serve a still-growing county population. County Auditor Barbara Schott’s … Continue reading →

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SWAT team

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure about this. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is starting an elite “high-risk” squad with the aim of developing it into a full-fledged SWAT team. Maj. Bob Doguim began soliciting applications for the eight-member team two weeks ago, … Continue reading →

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The Sheriff versus the deputies

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I continue to be surprised at how antagonistic this relationship has been. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia on Friday released a long-promised “Bill of Rights” for deputies under investigation by the department, but three deputies’ unions criticized the sheriff for … Continue reading →

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Trying to spend less on the jails

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, Harris County has a budget shortfall, and in recent years has seen spending on the Sheriff’s department, driven largely be the costs of the overcrowded jails, exceed its budgeted amount by millions. For the upcoming fiscal year, … Continue reading →

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There’s a fix for that

Posted on January 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, Harris County has a budget shortfall of its own to deal with. So the fact that the Sheriff’s Office is spending more than it was allotted is drawing some scrutiny. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is projected … Continue reading →

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Play politics first, ask questions later

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The number of homicides increased in unincorporated Harris County last year while declining in Houston. With only a few hours left in the year, 86 murders had occurred in the county’s unincorporated areas in 2009, up from 69 in 2008. … Continue reading →

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County pays off last bill related to Ibarra brothers lawsuit

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Merry Christmas. Harris County Commissioners Court agreed [Tuesday] to pay the last of what has amounted to more than $4 million in bills related to a lawsuit brought by two men who said they were wrongfully arrested after one of … Continue reading →

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Parker’s police plan in practice

Posted on December 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I think we’re all reasonably familiar with the basics of Mayor-Elect Parker’s plan for the police force, which includes more and better coordination between the various local law enforcement agencies. This story, which perhaps ought to have been run before … Continue reading →

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Tax cuts have consequences

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’re all familiar with the financial constraints that the city of Houston is operating under. Harris County is experiencing similar problems. “As best we can tell appraisals are going to be flat, if not down a little, so that means … Continue reading →

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Getting smarter about crime

Posted on December 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The news that Harris County DA Pat Lykos has changed the office’s policy to no longer will file state jail felony charges against suspects found with only a trace of drugs is good news indeed. Lykos said the move “gives … Continue reading →

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Putting prisoners to work

Posted on December 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee has proposed that the county consider putting more prisoners to work cleaning local bayous and parks. The plan would give working inmates three days’ credit … Continue reading →

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Bernstein responds to “Jail Misery”

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I guess I missed this one, but on November 19, the Houston Press published a story called Jail Misery by Randall Patterson that was about Monte Killian, an HIV-positive person who had recently spent time in the Harris County jail. … Continue reading →

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The journalists have filed their reports! Eek!

Posted on September 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that a reporter from the English language bureau of Al Jazeera was here in town a few days ago doing a report on the Harris County Jail. This caused the local GOP, especially Jared Woodfill, to wet … Continue reading →

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“Jail hell”

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the title of this Houston Press story about the experiences of those who have served time in the Harris County jail, as told by those who have just gotten out. The story is partly a response to the county’s … Continue reading →

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The jounalists are coming! Eek!

Posted on September 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County GOP Chair Jared Woodfill has a panic attack. The chairman of the Harris County Republican Party sharply criticized Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia Thursday for granting jail access to a reporter and videographer from Al Jazeera English, an … Continue reading →

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The Sheriff and the deputies

Posted on August 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I had mentioned before that there was some discontent from the Sheriff’s deputies bubbling up, mostly in the form of emails sent to Carl Whitmarsh’s listserv. Earlier today, the following was sent out: SHERIFF GARCIA, KEEP YOUR PROMISES A Labor … Continue reading →

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Harris County disputes federal criticism of its jails

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is interesting. Harris County officials today delivered a 300-page response to the U. S. attorney general’s findings that the Harris County Jail was unconstitutional, saying the report was largely based on anecdotal accounts from inmates and incomplete data. County … Continue reading →

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The exodus from the DA’s office

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron writes about disgruntlement in the DA’s office. Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos promised to clean house when she was elected in November and promptly fired seven senior prosecutors. Now other experienced prosecutors, including a member of Lykos’ … Continue reading →

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Parker’s crimefighting plan

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Tis the season for Mayoral candidates to send out position papers on various issues. I’ve gotten a couple in my mailbox in the past few days and want to spend a little time examining them. First up is Annise Parker’s … Continue reading →

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Harris County jail passes re-inspection

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good news from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office: HARRIS COUNTY JAIL PASSES REINSPECTION (HOUSTON, TX) – Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia is proud to announce that the Harris County Jail has passed a reinspection by the Texas Commission on Jail … Continue reading →

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