CITY & SCHOOLS
News from Houston, Bellaire, West University Place & Houston ISD
QUOTE OF NOTE
Police chief: Violent crime down in 2022, auto theft up
Houston ISD will meet at 5 p.m. Feb. 9 at 4400 W. 18th St., Houston. Meetings are streamed at www.houstonisd.org. Bellaire City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at 7008 S. Rice Ave., Bellaire. Meetings are streamed at www.bellairetx.gov. West University Place City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at 3800 University Blvd., Houston. Meetings are available via teleconference. Find details at www.westutx.gov. Houston City Council will meet for public comment at 2 p.m. Feb. 14 and regular business at 9 a.m. Feb. 15 at City Hall, 901 Bagby St., Houston. MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS BELLAIRE City staff was directed to keep searching for potential locations for a new dog pound after members of the Bellaire City Council failed to come to an agreement on a location at a Jan. 23 meeting. The city’s existing dog pound can be found at 4300 Edith St., Bellaire. HOUSTON Texas’ Big City Mayors— of which Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is a member—released an outline of priorities Jan. 13 for the 2023 legislative session. Priorities include preserving local control in cities, expanding access to broadband, and funding mental health and public safety. WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE The city of West University Place is seeking 12 residents to serve on a planning committee for the city’s centennial celebration. The committee will hold its first meeting in late February and will meet periodically through July 2024. Interested individuals should contact Bianca Cuccerre at bcuccerre@westutx.gov. “THERE IS STILL MUCH MORE WORK TO BE DONE, BUT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE AS A DISTRICT AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WORK AHEAD.” MILLARD HOUSE II, HOUSTON ISD SUPERINTENDENT, FOLLOWING A TEXAS SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT LEAVES THE DISTRICT OPEN TO A POTENTIAL STATE TAKEOVER
BY LEAH FOREMAN
YEAR OVER YEAR Preliminary crime statistics for 2022 show a drop in violent crime, while thefts from vehicles increased.
HOUSTON Preliminary crime statistics for 2022 in Houston show an 8% decrease in violent crime compared to the previous year, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told members of the Houston City Council during a Jan. 11 meeting. The city also saw a 9% decrease in murders, a 9% decrease in robberies, an 8% decrease in aggravated assaults and an 18% decrease in rape over that time. Kidnapping and auto theft increased citywide, but Finner said kidnapping figures are partially attributed to family members of chil- dren who were not legal custodians. The presentation also highlighted an increase in auto theft to 17,694 incidents in 2022, up by almost 1,800 cases from 2021. HPD officials reminded people to lock cars and not leave valuables—especially guns—in plain sight. General theft, which increased by 7% in 2022, often takes the form
Murder 2021: 477 2022: 435 Change: -9%
Violent crime 2021: 28,862 2022: 26,454 Change: -8%
Nonviolent crime 2021: 96,387 2022: 102,998 Change: +7%
Auto theft 2021: 15,901 2022: 17,694 Change: +11%
SOURCE: HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
of catalytic converter theft from vehicles, officers said. Three council members—Abbie Kamin, David Robinson and Robert Gallegos—noted they have been victims of recent auto-related theft. While it was shared that Chicago, a city with fewer square miles than Houston, has a larger police force than the Bayou City, Mayor Sylvester Turner highlighted the hiring of 2,026 new police officers over the course of his administration. Additionally, Finner highlighted a
Houston approves funding for various homeless initiatives to set its biannual budget, Turner and other City Council members emphasized their wishes for some of the budget’s surplus to be allocated to law enforcement and for officer mental health. $10,000 signing bonus for new cadets approved by City Council in 2022, as well as the early success of One Safe Houston. He also highlighted a need for more resources, including for technology and for aiding the mental health of officers. As the state Legislature plans
Texas Supreme Court gives state ability to potentially take over HISD school board
BY SHAWN ARRAJJ
An ongoing fight The Texas Education Agency first announced intentions to take over the Houston ISD board of trustees in 2019.
HOUSTON ISD A potential state takeover of the Houston ISD board of trustees is back in play after the Texas Supreme Court vacated an injunction Jan. 13, sending the case back to the trial court. The case related to whether Texas Education Agency Com- missioner Mike Morath has the authority to appoint a board of managers for HISD under the Texas Education Code. The TEA has been attempting to take over HISD since 2019, when state officials first recommended the move, arguing the elected school board “demonstrated inability to appropriately govern.” A Travis County judge granted HISD the injunction in 2020, tem- porarily stopping the takeover. In 2021, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1365, an education bill that TEA lawyers argued gave them authority to move forward with the takeover. The Supreme Court agreed, writing that the injunction
BY LEAH FOREMAN
HOUSTON Members of the Houston City Council approved roughly $9.3 million in funding agreements across their Jan. 4 and Jan. 25 meetings related to homelessness. On Jan. 4, the Council approved $1.6 million for nonprofit Avenue CDC to provide assistance to 190 low-income households affected by HIV/AIDS; $401,908 for an agreement with the state focused on youth homelessness; $324,520 for the city’s mobile trauma support partners expected to benefit at least 100 individuals; $150,000 for the contin- uation of Project Access, a program by Healthcare for the Homeless Houston to provide transportation to health care services; and $130,000 to the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston for planning services. On Jan. 25, the Council approved $6.7 million in grants for the non- profit Covenant House to go toward a new campus for homeless youth.
Nov. 2019: Texas Education Agency announces plan to take over Houston ISD school board, appoint new superintendent Jan. 2020: State judge grants injunction, blocking state from taking over HISD Feb. 2021: Appeals court upholds injunction; TEA appeals case to Texas Supreme Court Jan. 2022: Texas Supreme Court vacates injunction, clearing way for TEA takeover
SOURCES: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, TEXAS SUPREME COURT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
could not be upheld under the 2021 law. As of press time Jan. 30, officials with both HISD and the TEA said their legal teams were reviewing the court’s opinion.
Meetings are streamed at www.houstontx.gov/htv.
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