Tag Archives: Art Acevedo

More on the Finner departure

Posted on May 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That email was the final straw. After months of controversy surrounding the Houston Police Department’s practice of suspending cases due to short staffing, the revelation Tuesday that Chief Troy Finner was on an email discussing one such case in 2018 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Where are we with Houston police reform?

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It feels like it’s been on the back burner for awhile, but we’re about to get some action this month. Houston officials are developing a system for residents to report police misconduct online and will announce changes later this month … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Will there be any criminal complaints filed against Deshaun Watson?

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe? It all depends on what Tony Buzbee means, and Lord only knows about that. In his latest Instagram post about the sexual assault allegations against Deshaun Watson, Houston attorney Tony Buzbee said Tuesday that he plans to take evidence … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mayor Whitmire 2.0?

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Buried in this story about the recent departure of HPD Chief Art Acevedo for Miami is the following tidbit: Houston insiders knew that the 56-year-old Acevedo had been considering a mayoral run once Sylvester Turner reached his term limit in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Mayor Turner selects the new HPD Chief

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations, Chief Finner. Houston’s next police chief will be Troy Finner, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Thursday afternoon. Finner is one of outgoing Chief Art Acevedo’s two top assistant chiefs. Turner’s decision comes just days after Acevedo abruptly announced that he … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Who might succeed Acevedo?

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Names are floating about. With Police Chief Art Acevedo announcing his departure from Houston, law enforcement insiders say they believe Mayor Sylvester Turner is likely to select one of Acevedo’s two top assistants — Executive Assistant Chiefs Troy Finner and … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HPD Chief Art Acevedo leaving

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Headed to Miami. Police Chief Art Acevedo is leaving Houston to take over the Miami Police Department, the chief told his officers in an email obtained by the Chronicle. Acevedo informed HPD troops in an email dated Monday, March 15, … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A bill to ban no-knock warrants

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Probably won’t go anywhere, but well worth the effort. A bill pre-filed this week by state Rep. Gene Wu would ban no-knock warrants across Texas, marking the first major legislative response to last year’s botched drug raid that led to the deaths of … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Turner signs cite-and-release order

Posted on October 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Monday signed an executive order authorizing a new cite-and-release program for the Houston Police Department, aiming to let people accused of certain misdemeanors off with a ticket instead of a trip to jail. Turner and … Continue reading →

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Criticizing the HPD narcotics audit

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s good that it was finally released, but that doesn’t mean that all questions have been answered by it. Standing outside the small house where Houston police officers conducted a raid that killed two and grievously wounded their department’s reputation, … Continue reading →

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More and better police data, please

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Like this. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement will ask nearly 2,000 Texas law enforcement agencies to resubmit information legislators intended be used to analyze whether police were treating minority motorists differently — but which turned out to be worthless … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Steps towards more transparency

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Step One: Mayor Sylvester Turner said Friday he is reviewing an internal audit of the Houston Police Department’s embattled narcotics division and will send the results of the probe to state lawmakers who have called for its public release. Turner … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Release the audit

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my three-word response to this. A growing chorus of elected officials is calling on Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo to release the findings of an internal audit on his department’s narcotics division, arguing that the chief’s refusal to do … Continue reading →

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Time for a task force

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A good step, but it needs to be followed by real action. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to appoint a task force to review Houston Police Department policies amid growing calls for reform following local and nationwide protests over the death … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Let’s talk “meaningful reform”

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Chief Acevedo brought it up, so let’s go there. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo’s voice cracked several times and his eyes welled as he railed against the death of George Floyd beneath a policeman’s knee and implored protesters to demonstrate … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Coronavirus and crime

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s down around the country. Turns out having everyone stay inside has a salutary effect, for the most part. Crime rates plunged in cities and counties across the U.S. over the second half of March as the coronavirus pandemic drove … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Is there anything Houston can do about gun violence?

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not much, unfortunately. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said he wants state lawmakers to give cities and counties more flexibility to address gun violence in response to mass shootings this month that killed 31 people, including 22 in El Paso. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

The local response (so far) to the ICE raids

Posted on July 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is good. Houston’s top elected and law-enforcement officials sharply criticized federal authorities’ plans to arrest large numbers of immigrant families living without legal permission in major U.S. cities, contending that the raids targeting groups of recent arrivals would harm … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Looking to hire more cops for Houston

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see about this. The head of the Houston police union announced Wednesday that city leaders had pledged to grow the Houston Police Department ranks by 500 officers over the next five years, far fewer than the city’s police chief … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Law enforcement against the bathroom bill

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Add another group to an ever-expanding list. Police chiefs from three of the five biggest cities in the state gathered at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday to spurn proponents’ claims that such legislation is needed to protect privacy, arguing that … Continue reading →

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Get ready for the “sanctuary cities” lawsuits

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s just a matter of time. Now that Senate Bill 4 is on its way to becoming law, opponents are looking to the courts for relief – and a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court case is giving them hope. The high … Continue reading →

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Tom Brady’s jersey recovered

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Our long national nightmare is finally over. On Monday morning, the NFL and Houston’s police chief reported [Tom Brady’s Super Bowl] jersey was located and will be returned to the Patriots. Investigators with the Houston Police Department’s Major Offenders Division … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ogg launches her pot prosecution reform program

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been waiting for this. The Harris County district attorney’s plan to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana drew reactions swift and strong Thursday from both sides of the debate. District Attorney Kim Ogg made the announced Thursday backed by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

HPD retirements

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This is a concern, but I don’t think it’s a big one. A dozen of the Houston Police Department’s top commanders were among 123 officers who filed paperwork this week indicating they plan to retire in the first half of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Chief Acevedo’s priorities

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

They sound good to me. When Houston police officers shot and killed an armed man standing in a street intersection this summer, officers’ body cameras taped the incident – but the recordings didn’t start until after the man had been … Continue reading →

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Acevedo and Pena confirmed by Council

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

They’re officially official now. City Council unanimously confirmed Art Acevedo and Samuel Peña as Houston’s new police and fire chiefs Wednesday, clearing the way for the mayoral appointees to take office. Acevedo, Austin’s former police chief, is poised to take … Continue reading →

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Time once again to discuss Latino political participation

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s jump right in. The long wait continues for Houston and Harris County residents eager for a steep uptick in elected Latino representation. Hispanic residents last year were 42 percent of the county population, up from 23 percent in 1990, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Mayor Turner picks Austin PD Chief for HPD

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: In a sweeping announcement, Mayor Sylvester Turner named four new department directors and a reappointment Thursday. Pending City Council confirmation, Art Acevedo of Austin will assume the position of police chief and El Paso’s Samuel Pena will … Continue reading →

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