In an op-ed for the Chronicle, Chief Hurtt complains that critics of his department are being unfair. After a laundry list of criticisms, he concludes:
We will continue to work hard to maintain our transparency to the citizens we serve. When mistakes are made, we acknowledge them and take steps to immediately fix the problem(s).
We have continuously demonstrated this, as shown by the work to rebuild the Crime Lab and Property Room operations, to improve extra employment accountability, to demonstrate accountability with Conducted Energy Devices (Tasers, etc).
We want to make our department a more desirable place for our employees to work. We want citizens to have confidence in the effectiveness and efficiency of services we provide. We also want to continuously encourage citizens to join us in our efforts to make Houston one of the safest cities in the United States.
HPD’s transparency often begins only after a local media expos
