Community leaders and civil rights advocates are speaking out after a major change inside the Houston Police Department that they say could impact trust between officers and the public.
Community groups push back after Houston mayor shuts down HPD Community Affairs Division Deputy hospitalized, truck driver detained after wreck involving HCSO vehicle, firetruck in AldineSuspect dead, 3 hospitalized after police pursuit leads to violent wreck with truck in Texas CityCommunity leaders and civil rights advocates are speaking out after a major change inside the Houston Police Department that they say could impact trust between officers and the public.
Several groups are raising concerns after they say Mayor John Whitmire abruptly announced the closure of HPD’s decades-old Community Affairs Division — a unit designed to serve as a bridge between police and the communities they serve. Community members say the decision came without notice and at a time when the department is already facing mounting scrutiny. That includes fallout from the department’s backlog of more than 254,000 suspended or uninvestigated cases, as well as new concerns tied to how local officers interact with federal immigration authorities. HPD’s Community Affairs Division has historically played a key role in building relationships across Houston neighborhoods. The unit focuses on outreach efforts like attending civic meetings, working with community groups, organizing youth programs, and helping communicate information between residents and law enforcement.Mark Rodriguez, president of the Oaklawn Fullerton Civic Association in Houston’s East End, says his neighborhood has already felt the shift. “Last night at the community meeting, we had about 25 residents there. Nobody from HPD showed up,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez shared an email he received in October from an HPD commander stating that officers would no longer attend neighborhood meetings and instead encouraged residents to go to police substation meetings. “And I said that’s kind of hard to drag our community up to the substation to be able to hear HPD out,” Rodriguez said. “They need to involve themselves in our community.” The issue is also drawing attention from civil rights groups, who are connecting the division’s closure to broader concerns about immigration enforcement. Civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen argues that recent actions involving immigration warrants raise constitutional questions. He points to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says officers cannot detain someone during a traffic stop without reasonable suspicion of a crime.Groups including LULAC, We the People Organize, and the Houston chapter of the National Lawyers Guild held a press conference at Houston City Council on Tuesday and called on the mayor to reinstate the division. During a recent news conference on March 11, Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz suggested community engagement efforts are still a priority. “It’s incredibly busy and incredibly important to us to make sure that we’re focused,” Diaz said. “So community affairs didn’t go away, it’s a hundred percent better. It’s on steroids.”“I didn’t know it was broken, so I don’t know why it needs to be fixed,” said Councilwoman Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, who represents District D. “This city is too large to not have a community affairs division… I certainly support the reinstatement of that.”Re’Chelle Turner reached out to both HPD and the mayor’s office for clarification on the move and whether the division is being eliminated or replaced with a different approach.Emmy award-winning journalist born and raised in Alabama. College football fanatic and snow cone lover! Passionate about connecting with the community to find stories that matter.Unlock featured deals at local favorites with Houston Life Deals!The Coogs are back in the Big Dance! Houston enters March Madness as a No. 2 seedHappy Saturday!! 💛 The rodeo fun continues this weekend!Save money on tickets to the Alley Theatre in downtown Houston this month!Meet the popular hatmaker with a one year wait listHouston buckle up! Temperatures will take a dramatic drop Sunday nightLaw enforcement escorts Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo to SUV after reviewing rodeo security video
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