KHOU-11’s Shern-Min Chow reports that Mayor White is being forced to loosen the city’s purse strings:
Houston Mayor Bill White plans to make a major announcement about putting more police officers on the street. That announcement is scheduled to come Tuesday morning.
11 News has confirmed the move will mean hundreds of extra officers patrolling city streets. But only after some threats from the police union.
Turns out the manpower shortage has been a longstanding sore spot with police officers. Sources told 11 News that three weeks ago the Houston Police officers union met with the mayor to complain.
Word is the union indicated it would publicly slam the mayor and police chief if additional resources were not forthcoming.
That prompted tomorrow’s announcement in which the city will fund the increased patrols with sales tax revenues, which have been higher than anticipated, and $200 million from city reserves.
The money provides for overtime pay and additional HPD academy classes to create the additional manpower.
It’s about time. Mayor White’s lack of focus on protecting Houstonians has been incomprehensible, although, if he could have found a revenue stream in it, he’d have had more interest.
KHOU’s story also notes that a Continental Airlines task force will assist HPD with its recruiting process.
RELATED: Police chief pledges more patrols in Acres Homes (Chronicle)
UPDATE: On a KTRH-740 newsbreak, Bonnie Petrie (sp?) said that the infusion of funds for HPD is the result of an unexpected increase in tax revenues.
Unexpected???
Not to anyone who’s been paying attention!
Houston sales tax revenues booming for the month, year; Houston is rolling in the dough; Houston’s sales tax revenue up almost 20%; COH and Metro thank you for your support!; Houston has a surplus and Mayor White doesn’t want to share it
And a few more from the Houston Business Journal:
Houston’s sales tax allocation up 4.1 percent; May sales tax revenue increases 10 percent; Sales tax payments up for Houston counties
That last link points to September’s state tax allocation:
Houston itself received $38.6 million, up 12.6 percent from $34.3 million.
Houston’s revenues have not unexpectedly increased.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Matt Stiles adds this:
BTW: Responding to a question, Marticiuc also denied a report last night on KHOU-TV (Channel 11) that said the union had pressured and even threatened White to make this financial committment.
“That is not accurate. We’ve had some earnest discussions with the mayor for some time.”
I think “earnest discussions” falls in line with KHOU’s story. =)
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