Photo: AFP
Crime in Houston isn't slowing down, and criminals are now so emboldened that they are committing crimes directly against police officers. In just the last week and a half, Houston Police officers have been involved in four instances of being shot at by suspects.
Houston Police Officers Union President Doug Griffith told KTRH, "There's no real consequences out there for these individuals. They get caught, they go to jail, then they're let right back out on a PR bond."
Griffith says there is a plan to do something about all this. HPD has received a $6 million budget for overtime to get more officers on the streets. He says HPD is now planning when and where those officers are most needed to curtail violent crime.
But one of the biggest concerns for Griffith is finding ways to boost morale. He says many officers are retiring after just five or ten years and moving into private-sector jobs. He says even though HPD specifically feels supported by the community, officers across the board are sick of being vilified by the media.