The Houston Chronicle reports a 16% increase in use-of-force incidents from 2022 to 2023. This troubling trend shows exactly why we need to get HPD out of traffic stops. The majority of people experiencing this abuse are Black and Latine drivers, and the City of Houston must do more to protect them.

Yesterday, September 14, 2023, reporters Caroline Ghisolfi and Andrea Ball of the Houston Chronicle shed light on forthcoming “sweeping changes” to HPD’s car chase policy that “might have prevented hundreds of crashes had those changes been made earlier.”

When asked for commentary, RISE Houston Steering Committee members Christopher Rivera—of Texas Civil Rights Project—and Alfredo Dominguez—of Civil Rights Corps—made clear that these belated reforms are nowhere near enough.

Today, September 14, 2023, the Houston Landing published a thorough exploration of the options survivors have in the aftermath of being mistreated by the police.

Acknowledging that the “process of filing a police complaint in Harris County can be difficult and lengthy,” reporters Eileen Grench and Angelica Perez walk readers through the unique procedures and rules for each law enforcement agency operating in Harris County.

Grench and Perez also offer an alternative to calling the police: calling the intake line for the Houston Police Accountability Collaborative (“Houston PAC”).

On August 15, 2023, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Lee H. Rosenthal, in a powerful opinion, denied defendants Eric Bruss and Wayne Schultz’s motion to dismiss in Kerry Lee Thomas v Robert Johnson et al. (Case No. 4:23-cv-00662). Mr. Thomas is represented by Shirley LaVarco: an attorney with Civil Rights Corps and a member of the RISE Houston Steering Committee.

Not only did fellow officers Bruss and Schultz fail to intervene, the lawsuit alleges that they also helped cover up the attack by falsifying records and lying to a public official about the attack. 

Shirley LaVarco, lead attorney for Mr. Thomas, noted that,

“Bruss and Schultz had every opportunity to stop a vicious act of violence by their fellow officer. Instead, they helped him cover it up. We’re grateful that the court acknowledged that, and look forward to unpacking their lies as the case moves forward.” 

Fifty community members gathered on Monday evening with one common objective: ending Houston’s wasteful and dangerous $3.5 million contract with ShotSpotter, the controversial surveillance technology police used to spy on Black, Brown, low-income, and working-class people across Houston. Numerous studies show that ShotSpotter does not reduce or prevent gun crime. ShotSpotter sends armed police into our communities on high alert after any loud noise. It misidentifies loud noises (fireworks, slammed car doors, etc.) for gunfire at extremely high rates, with false positives as high as 48%. This shoddy “technology” has already led to harassment, false charges and even death. Because of this, other cities like San Antonio and Charlotte have already stopped using the invasive and ineffective technology.

Monday’s convening was hosted by RISE Houston, a grassroots coalition dedicated to ending police violence and fostering community safety.

In this morning’s edition of the Houston Chronicle, reporter Matt deGrood digs into a specific example of a broader, all too common problem: abusive members of law enforcement evade accountability for their misconduct by simply jumping to a new job with a different policing body when they are found out. This trend is unacceptable, and it is made possible by police leadership turning a blind eye to misconduct and welcoming crooked officers with open arms.

On July 10th, 2023, Civil Rights Corps—a member of the RISE Houston steering committee—filed a lawsuit against 11 Houston Police Department (“HPD”) officers on behalf of Houston resident Alberto Ramos.

The complaint alleges that defendant HPD officers Scott Erwin, Jennifer Gilbreath, Hallie Smith, Fredrick Morrison, and Gino Dago racially profiled, hogtied, and arrested Mr. Ramos without probable cause, and in violation of his constitutional rights.

For 28 years, the Department of Justice has warned police departments that hogtying can be a deadly maneuver when used on vulnerable people. Between 2010 and 2021, 23 people died as a result of being hogtied by police.

On July 14, 2023, the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board joined Houston residents in demanding that the City of Houston axe its contract with ShotSpotter, Inc., for good.

RISE Houston’s stance is clear: ShotSpotter is ineffective, expensive, and dangerous surveillance technology.

Data reviewed by the Chronicle illustrates our point.

On July 11, 2021, the Houston Chronicle took a close look at the impact ShotSpotter has had on Houston in the three years since it was first implemented. The takeaway? This purported “gunfire detection technology” simply doesn’t work:

“Crime statistics show the technology hasn’t made a dent in gun violence in the select areas it covers – with a side effect of distracting officers from other calls for help….Despite millions being spent, the program has largely churned out dead ends.”

On June 28, 2023, the Texas Signal featured RISE Houston’s growing movement against police violence in piece titled, “NEW HOUSTON GROUP LAUNCHES TO RE-IMAGINE SAFETY.” RoShawn Evans, a RISE Houston Steering Committee member and Co-Founder of Pure Justice, was quoted sharing the vision for the campaign:

“We envision a Houston where everyone has the tools and resources they need to strive and thrive in their homes and communities.”

A packed audience of over 150 people attended the kick-off campaign rally held by Re-Imagining Safety for Everyone in Houston (“RISE Houston”) at the AFL-CIO Building in Houston, Texas on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The audience included survivors of police violence, concerned community members, and numerous elected officials and candidates for city council.