After seven shootings over the weekend, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was forced to talk about the problem of violent crime in the city. Gone was the party line that COVID was the reason. Turner is now speaking out against the bond reform in Harris County that has led to the problem. Doug Griffith with the Houston Police Officers Union says the problem isn't getting any better, and that morale is down across HPD.
"We are stretched very, very thin. And when you have the courts releasing these guys over and over again, it just emboldens them," Griffith explained.
And if you think the problem is going to be fixed overnight, Griffith says you're wrong.
"It's going to get more dangerous until it gets better. Until we take this seriously, nothing is going to change," Griffith said.
Turner says the city will increase police presence in areas that have been deemed "hot spots."