A judge reappointed to the court system after losing his re-election bid last year signed the bond releasing Joseph Harrell.
The city’s police chief reported that overall crime is down from last year while still well above 2019 levels.
While rising crime is a growing concern in Houston, U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher and Texas Rep. Gene Wu zeroed in on hate crimes during a community event.
Amid ongoing litigation over firefighter compensation, the Houston City Council approved a contract negotiated between Mayor Sylvester Turner and the police union.
There have been nine law enforcement officers murdered in the Houston and Harris County area since September of 2019.
Urban centers across the country have seen a spike in violent crime since the pandemic began and many have experienced efforts to shrink police departments.
A man charged with murdering a Houston police officer was released on bond just hours after police Chief Acevedo lambasted Harris County judges over felony bond practices.
During a discussion on policing and criminal justice reform, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo warned of a coming public backlash on lenient felony bond policies.
Houston will launch a “March on Crime” initiative to provide crime tips and encourage communications with law enforcement as the region experiences skyrocketing homicide and assault rates.
Turner and Acevedo addressed the city’s rising homicide rate and called for Harris County judges and magistrates to stop issuing multiple PR bonds to felony suspects.
Charges were filed against a former House police captain after an altercation in which he held a repairman at gunpoint, alleging his involvement in an election fraud scheme.
