initiatives BREAKDOWN OF One Safe Houston is a series of initiatives intended to combat a rise in crime, including an overtime initiative for police. WORKING OVERTIME As of April 24, 345 patrol units have worked overtime since Feb. 10. 330 Total arrests made during overtime City warrants: 187
that requires individuals to be released from jail after 90 days if they have not been indicted. “This is not something that will keep people in jail,” said Ken Good, an attor- ney and a board member with the Pro- fessional Bondsmen of Texas. However, Dane Schiller, a spokes- person for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, pushed back on Good’s argument. He said indictments are always returned within the 90-day time frame if a jury finds probable cause that a crime has occurred. Additional ordinances seeking to prevent crime include an initiative that targets hot spot crime areas by requir- ing certain businesses to have extra outdoor lighting and security cameras. Camera footage is required to be turned over to HPD if warrants are presented. City Council also passed an ordinance May 4 making it unlawful to resell a cut catalytic converter without documen- tation to combat the theft and resale of catalytic converters. To combat a court backlog that offi- cials said has slowed down the process of jailing violent offenders, the DA’s office created a $3 million triage pro- gram that gives prosecutors the chance to work with overtime pay to clear mis- demeanor and felony cases. The mis- demeanor and felony case backlog are down 7% and 11%, respectively, from June 2021, Schiller said. As of May 13, there were 47,900 active felony cases in district courts, the lowest since November 2020, when a peak of 54,000 was hit, Schiller said. Turner said a $1 million gun buy- back program, designed to get illegally obtained firearms off the streets, is the only One Safe Houston program that has not yet been activated. With sum- mer approaching, Turner said he antic- ipates an uptick in crime and hopes to see the program launched in July. ARPA funds have to be fully allocated by the end of 2024 and fully spent by the end of 2026. Once exhausted, the fate of One Safe Houston will be left up to future city leadership, according to Turner’s office.
One ordinance created a new $12 million Mobile Crisis Outreach Team program that involves using a 24-hour diversion strategy for mental health crisis calls that are noncriminal and nonviolent. Call are diverted to a group of registered nurses, psychiatrists, licensed clinicians and care coordina- tors instead of HPD. The new ordinance expanded a pilot program and made it permanent. A May 25 ordinance passed by the coun- cil added another $1.5 million to fund two additional teams. Council also approved a $2 million expansion of the city’s Crisis Interven- tion Response Team program. With the expansion, 18 police officers are paired with 18 clinicians to respond and pro- vide services to an individual who is experiencing a mental health crisis. According to city data, domestic vio- lence accounts for 81% of the increase in homicides from the previous year. One Safe Houston also funds a $10 million domestic abuse response team trained to provide trauma response care for victims. A $3 million invest- ment will specifically help people of color and immigrants. The initiative was among those to garner praise from President Joe Biden, Turner said. Alejandra Posada, chief operating officer with Mental Health America of Greater Houston, said a person in a mental health crisis is more likely to be a victim of crime rather than committing crime. “It’s really important to note that most violent crime is not the result of mental illness,” Posada said. Program progress To help reduce crime, Houston and Harris County have taken measures to keep violent criminals in jails and deter others who might commit a crime. A 10% minimum upfront bail bond payment was approved by the Harris County Bail Bond Board on April 13 in an attempt to keep people who have been arrested for violent crimes off the streets. The program requires bail bonds be set at a 10% minimum for arrests made for certain violent crimes. Some bail bondspeople have criti- cized the move as a distraction, arguing it will not be effective due to a state law
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intervention teams, a 10% minimum upfront bail bond payment for certain violent charges and increased security at crime hot spots. The initiative, which uses federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, was recognized May 13 by White House ARPA Coordinator Gene Sperling, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in an interview with Community Impact Newspaper . The acknowledgement came during a trip Turner made to Washington, D.C., alongside Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner and a small group of other mayors and police chiefs from different U.S. cities. “[Sperling] specifically commented to me that they had checked out things first before extending the invitation,” Turner said. “They had drilled down into the One Safe Houston plan, and they feel very positive about it.” Since the January homicide spike, Turner said data shows homicides have started to slow in Houston. As of May 31, the homicide rate is down 3% from May of last year. Fei Yang, director of the Laboratory for Crime and Justice at the University of Houston-Downtown, said Houston’s strategies target social conditions, such as economic uncertainty and substance use disorders, that are often tied to criminal activity and were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. “We need to do quality control and Among the ARPA-funded initiatives in One Safe Houston are several related to mental health passed at an April 13 Houston City Council meeting. The three ordinances aim to divert non- violent mental health calls from HPD while pairing officers with experts in other situations where police presence is still required. “Having experts who can better diagnose a situation and then apply the right intervention for it and can get the person the help they need can prevent escalation, violence and jailing,” said Sandra Thompson, a professor of crim- inal law at the University of Houston’s Law Center. prevention,” Yang said. Mental health resources
Charges filed (District Attorney intake management system): 51
Southeast Texas Crime Information Center: 35
Misdemeanor warrants: 33
Class A/B misdemeanors: 28
Felony arrests: 23
Felony warrants: 13
Class C (no tickets): 11
DWI stops: 10
Misdemeanor DWIs: 8
Felony DWIs: 2
MENTAL HEALTH FOCUS Three new programs were adopted April 13 by Houston City Council. crisis intervention response team A peace officer and a licensed professional clinician ride together to respond to mental health disturbances in the case of a violent individual. mobile crisis outreach program been done WHAT HAS Houston has taken steps to execute the One Safe Houston initiative since its Feb. 2 announcement. A team of licensed individuals responds to a nonviolent or noncriminal mental health crisis call that has been diverted from the Houston Police Department. clinician officer remote evaluation A telehealth strategy that allows HPD officers to connect with a mental health clinician through a tablet when responding to a mental health crisis.
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
FEB. 2 Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner
APRIL 20 City Council passes an ordinance requiring bars, nightclubs and several other business types to have additional outdoor lighting and security cameras.
MAY 4 City Council passes an ordinance to combat the theft and resale of catalytic converters. SOURCE: ONE SAFE HOUSTON/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
APRIL 13 A trio of mental health ordinances is passed by Houston City Council. The Harris County Bail Bond Board approves a 10% minimum bond fee for violent offenders.
announces the One Safe Houston initiative and implements overtime for Houston Police Department officers.
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HEIGHTS - RIVER OAKS - MONTROSE EDITION • JUNE 2022
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