HPOU Strength Unity Through Texas’ Largest Police Union The Publication of the Houston Police Officers’ Union www.HPOU.org Vol. XXXIX No. 12 December 2013 The President’s Message The Necessity For and Concerns Merry Christmas about HPD’s Use of Force Policy and Ray Hunt Since the department rolled out the new documentation of force Happy New Year! requirements, the phones and emails at the HPOU have lit up. We understand your concerns and expressed these same concerns during the implementation of this policy. Chief McClelland includes the HPOU leadership in all command staff meetings and we truly appreciate it. We heard firsthand the reasons for needing to capture the information and do not disagree. We have done some research and agree that HPD has been lagging behind other departments in documenting force. Tyler Police Department, for example, has been documenting force for Blue Santa is out in full force! Tis the season for the thousands of Blue Santas in the Houston Police Department to be out in full force, supplying toys and presents for the the last 17 years. At HPD, our force has been noted in offense reports, needy families they sponsor this season. Blue Santa, epitomized by this officer (whose but would have to be extracted out of each report to get the numbers. identity is well known amongst his fellow officers), was scheduled to make his normal number of appearances in the weeks before Christmas. This picture captures the spirit and meaning of the special HPD program. GARY HICKS PHOTO We are not afraid of the numbers that will result and are confident the data will show that our highly trained officers are using force only NON-PROFIT ORG. Houston Police Officers’ Union U.S. Postage when necessary and reasonable. In fact, HPD officers undergo twice 1600 State Street PAID the training required by the state of Texas. Houston, Texas 77007 Houston, Texas Permit No. 7227 Our concern, however, is with the policy as it’s currently written. The time consumption of this new policy will greatly hinder the ability of rank-and-file officers to effectively do their job and get back in service. It will be especially burdensome on the sergeants, who already have more tasks to complete than their counterparts in most other departments. According to the new policy, sergeants will now have to complete supplements on all force incidents. This appears to us to be overkill and will take sergeants out of service for extended periods of time. We believe that sergeants should only be completing supplements when Non-profit Statement: Badge & Gun is published monthly at no subscription charge. Send Correspondence and Address Changes (include mailing label) any weapon is used on the suspect or there is any injury to the suspect To: BADGE & GUN 1600 State Street Houston, TX 77007. Telephone: 713-237-0282. or officer. Continues on Page 4 Page 1 Badge & Gun • December 2013 BadgeGun December 2013 Issue.indd 1 12/2/13 9:54 PM HPOU Board of Directors Executive Board Ray Hunt Doug Griffith Joseph Gamaldi Joseph Castaneda President 1st Vice-President 2nd Vice-President Secretary (281) 701-5428 (713) 501-4991 (832) 283-9492 (281) 798-5051 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Board Members J.G. Garza Gary Hicks Jeff Wagner Robert Breiding Jason Countryman Terry Wolfe Don Egdorf Bubba Caldwell Director 1 Director 2 Director 3 Director 4 Director 5 Director 6 Director 7 Director 8 (832) 875-1377 (832) 368-6283 (832) 512-8732 (713) 854-6391 (832) 928-6336 (832) 341-0165 (713) 240-6033 (281) 924-4498 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Will Reiser Rebecca Dallas Rosalinda Ybanez Timothy Whitaker Lance Gibson Robert Sandoval O.J. Latin Tom Hayes Director 9 Director 10 Director 11 Director 12 Director 13 Director 14 Director 15 Director 16 (281) 923-1626 (832) 419-9589 (832) 293-1495 (832) 606-9502 (281) 658-2974 (281) 924-6369 (281) 726-1599 (281) 924-3015 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Bill Booth Terry Seagler John Yencha Luis Menendez-Sierra Director 17 Director 18 Director 19 Director 20 (281) 924-3016 (832) 494-8244 (832) 731-9361 (832) 513-5110 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Mark Clark Executive Director Tim Butler Joslyn Johnson Randy Upton Cole Lester Dana Hitzman (832) 200-3434 Treasurer Parliamentarian Sergeant at Arms Assistant Secretary 2nd Assistant Secretary [email protected] (713) 204-4372 (832) 642-9899 (281) 352-6236 (281) 924-3003 (832) 731-7501 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Page 2 Badge & Gun • December 2013 BadgeGun December 2013 Issue.indd 2 12/2/13 9:55 PM Editorial Page BADGE& GUN HPOU PAC Supports Voice of the Houston Police Officers’ Union Published monthly at no subscription charge Stardig, Garces, Burks, by the: Houston Police Officers’ Union Kubosh in Dec. 14 City Council 1600 State Street, Houston, TX 77007 Ph: 832-200-3400 • Toll free: 1-800-846-1167 Runoff Elections Fax: 832-200-3470 THE DEC. 14 CITY RUNOFF ELECTION IS LATER THAN NORMAL runoff schedules, providing E-mail: [email protected] Website address: www.HPOU.org the HPOU PAC Committee with more time to get out the word about City Council endorsements. Legal Department: 832-200-3420 There are four races. Two of them involve districts, District A and District I and two others are At Large Legal Dept Fax: 832-200-3426 positions, Nos. 2 and 3. The Position 2 seat is held by incumbent Andrew Burks Jr. HPOU PAC renews Insurance: 832-200-3410 its endorsement of Councilman Burks and urges a vote for him on Dec. 14. Position 3 is an open seat. Badge & Gun is the official publication of the The PAC endorses Michael Kubosh in that race. Houston Police Officers’ Union. Badge & Gun is published monthly under the supervision of its District I is an open seat in which Gracie Garces has earned the Union PAC’s nod of support. Board of Directors. However, opinions expressed by individual Board members or any other writer District A is a different story. The incumbent, Helena Brown, has shown no support whatsoever for law in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the entire Board of Directors. Editorial enforcement. The first-term representative has been a constant naysayer, frequently the sole NO vote on submissions are welcomed and encouraged. council. HPOU PAC is endorsing Brenda Stardig. She was the incumbent District A council member All submissions must be received by the 7th of who lost to Brown in a low-turnout runoff election two years ago. An ardent supporter of Houston the month. police, Stardig deserves a return to City Hall. ADVERTISEMENT IN THE BADGE & GUN DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, The HPOU PAC urges runoff election votes for Brenda Stardig in District A, Gracie Garces in District A WARRANTY OR A GUARANTEE BY I and Andrew Burks Jr. in At-Large Position 2 and Michael Kubosh in At-Large Position 3 in the THE UNION. Saturday, Dec. 14 runoff election. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Badge & Gun ATTENTION OFFICERS! 1600 State Street Houston, TX 77007 Fax: 832-200-3470 As usual, the HPOU will be issuing its annual Calendar hopefully before Christmas or shortly after the New Year. Please facilitate the distribution process by making sure the Union office has any recent change of address. Please stop by the State Street office and notify Krystal, Chanel or Veronica about your change or go to the HPOU.org website. Thanks and Happy Holidays! Important Numbers Merry Christmas ATO: 713-223-4ATO Badge & Gun: 832-200-3400 and Happy New Year HPOU Offices: 832-200-3400 from 1-800-846-1167 Insurance Fax: 832-200-3470 Legal Services: 832-200-3420 Legal Fax: 832-200-3426 and email: [email protected] www.hpou.org Page 3 Badge & Gun • December 2013 BadgeGun December 2013 Issue.indd 3 12/2/13 9:55 PM Continues from Ray Page 1 I am confident that our chief will review this policy and make changes We have found no other departments that require the extensive that will accomplish our goal and streamline the process. documentation that is being required by our new policy. We have found no departments that require SWAT officers to do a report for having Merry Christmas and Happy 2014 their weapons pointed at a suspect, but no shot fired. On behalf of the entire HPOU Board of Directors and staff at the We have found no department that requires every officer on a felony HPOU, we wish each of you a safe and Merry Christmas and safe and vehicle stop to do a supplement for simply pointing a weapon at the Happy 2014. occupants in a stolen car. Nor have we found a department that requires warrant teams to complete the form when they enter a felon’s residence Please be reminded that the first HPOU general membership meeting and make an arrest without incident. of 2014 will be on Thursday, Jan. 2. We appreciate the fact that our chief is not requiring the documentation of force for simply having your weapon out and by your side like some departments are requiring, but strongly believe this new policy could be streamlined and still achieve the desired goal.