Tuesday, July 29, 2008
We Don' Need No Stinkin' Surance
Today the Houston Chronicle has a story titled "Many Texans Lacking Auto Insurance." My gut reaction was "duh!" Ask any officer who patrols certain parts of Houston (southwest, northeast, etc) what percentage of motorists they stop do have insurance. However, one fact that wasn't mentioned in the story and I'm sure it's because most people do not know this. Some insurance companies are selling coverage to people without driver's licenses. In fact, some insurance companies are insuring drivers who only have the Mexican consulate ID cards. I have yet to see what happens when one of these people crash and they want to file a claim.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
My Bad! Wrong Pedal!
Why yes it was a woman driver!
Sorry, I couldn't resist. Fortunately nobody was hurt in Katy as this woman hit the wrong pedal and a Petco store. Poor woman stood there embarrassed after it happened.
Trouble With Houston Police Marshall's Office
Houston reporter Isiah Carey has posted two articles about how Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Vicki King wants to disband the city Marshall's office.
June 17 Post
HPD isn't saying they are going to lay off the officers in the Marshall's office. They say they are going to have them reassigned. Now, many veteran officers who land a good day shift with weekends and holidays off become creatures of habit. They are very resistant to change, especially if it means losing such a sweet work schedule. Their argument (to justify their existence) is about clearing the over 1 million HPD warrants that are active.
July 23 Post
In this post, someone sent Mr. Carey an anonymous email claiming racism. When all else fails, play the race card. After all, that has become the status quo.
Let me inform you on how "clearing warrants" works. An officer comes into contact with somebody on the streets (i.e. traffic stop, person stop, call for service, etc.). The officer checks the person (either by ID card, driver's license, or date-of-birth) through the local, state, and national databases looking for warrants. If the person is wanted, the warrant shows up. Now, the officer cannot arrest and haul the person to jail at that point. The officer must get confirmation of the warrant. This consists of contacting the law enforcement agency that wants the person arrested and brought to their jail. The officer (or their dispatcher) contacts the other agency and informs them they have a person who their computer says has a warrant. A representative of the warrant's originating agency goes to their file cabinet looking for the actual paper warrant. If the warrant is there, then the representative tells the officer/dispatcher that their warrant is active and they want the person in their jail. The officer is informed the warrant is "confirmed" and then the person is placed under arrest and taken to jail.
Now, in the first post, Mr. Carey asks Chief King about the 35,000 warrants cleared. However, I can promise you that the HPD Marshall's office did not locate all of these people on their own. The majority of these fugitives were arrested on other charges, or stopped on the street and checked by street officers. Someone at the Marshall's office answers the phone, gets the person's information, and goes looking for the paper copy of the warrant. I can tell you that in 2007, someone answered the phone 35,000 times and looked for 35,000 paper copies of warrants.
Now, with HPD under the gun for their manpower shortage, and for their massive overtime spending, what sense does it make for about 70 police officers to be paid to do a job that a handful of civilian clerks can do? Do people want more officers on the street? Do people want more detectives handling their cases? This seems to me, more of a case of HPD wanting to shift resources and complacent officers resisting the change to keep their nice work schedule. I can certainly understand a veteran officer not wanting to start over with a lousy shift and lousy days off. However, it's ultimately about how to best utilize police officers to serve the citizens.
June 17 Post
HPD isn't saying they are going to lay off the officers in the Marshall's office. They say they are going to have them reassigned. Now, many veteran officers who land a good day shift with weekends and holidays off become creatures of habit. They are very resistant to change, especially if it means losing such a sweet work schedule. Their argument (to justify their existence) is about clearing the over 1 million HPD warrants that are active.
July 23 Post
In this post, someone sent Mr. Carey an anonymous email claiming racism. When all else fails, play the race card. After all, that has become the status quo.
Let me inform you on how "clearing warrants" works. An officer comes into contact with somebody on the streets (i.e. traffic stop, person stop, call for service, etc.). The officer checks the person (either by ID card, driver's license, or date-of-birth) through the local, state, and national databases looking for warrants. If the person is wanted, the warrant shows up. Now, the officer cannot arrest and haul the person to jail at that point. The officer must get confirmation of the warrant. This consists of contacting the law enforcement agency that wants the person arrested and brought to their jail. The officer (or their dispatcher) contacts the other agency and informs them they have a person who their computer says has a warrant. A representative of the warrant's originating agency goes to their file cabinet looking for the actual paper warrant. If the warrant is there, then the representative tells the officer/dispatcher that their warrant is active and they want the person in their jail. The officer is informed the warrant is "confirmed" and then the person is placed under arrest and taken to jail.
Now, in the first post, Mr. Carey asks Chief King about the 35,000 warrants cleared. However, I can promise you that the HPD Marshall's office did not locate all of these people on their own. The majority of these fugitives were arrested on other charges, or stopped on the street and checked by street officers. Someone at the Marshall's office answers the phone, gets the person's information, and goes looking for the paper copy of the warrant. I can tell you that in 2007, someone answered the phone 35,000 times and looked for 35,000 paper copies of warrants.
Now, with HPD under the gun for their manpower shortage, and for their massive overtime spending, what sense does it make for about 70 police officers to be paid to do a job that a handful of civilian clerks can do? Do people want more officers on the street? Do people want more detectives handling their cases? This seems to me, more of a case of HPD wanting to shift resources and complacent officers resisting the change to keep their nice work schedule. I can certainly understand a veteran officer not wanting to start over with a lousy shift and lousy days off. However, it's ultimately about how to best utilize police officers to serve the citizens.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Same Story, Different Details
Houston Chronicle's Story
KPRC's Story
story posted at 7:34am. With nearly a 2-hour time frame, why does the The story here is some fool gets into an argument with a guy at a store, pulls a gun and shoots the other guy dead. He shoots at the clerk, but fortunately he's behind a bullet proof screen. Gunman then walks into the parking lot, shoots at other people. He then carjacks a Lexus which he crashes afterward. A Pct. 1 deputy constable is nearby helping a stranded motorist. Gunman points the gun at the deputy. The gunman tries to steal the patrol car and winds up fighting the deputy, and two wrecker drivers who were kind enough to assist. After getting the man in custody, he dies. I bet we'll find he was under the influence of a potent mix of drugs (or maybe just one). I have to give credit to the chronicle's Anita Hassan. She did an excellent story, detailed, leaving really no ifs, ands, or buts. However, the KPRC story is lacking in a couple of details. To be fair I checked the times. The chronicle story posted at 5:51am. Why did the KPRC story fails to mention the guy tried to steal the patrol car and fought with the deputy?
KPRC's Story
story posted at 7:34am. With nearly a 2-hour time frame, why does the The story here is some fool gets into an argument with a guy at a store, pulls a gun and shoots the other guy dead. He shoots at the clerk, but fortunately he's behind a bullet proof screen. Gunman then walks into the parking lot, shoots at other people. He then carjacks a Lexus which he crashes afterward. A Pct. 1 deputy constable is nearby helping a stranded motorist. Gunman points the gun at the deputy. The gunman tries to steal the patrol car and winds up fighting the deputy, and two wrecker drivers who were kind enough to assist. After getting the man in custody, he dies. I bet we'll find he was under the influence of a potent mix of drugs (or maybe just one). I have to give credit to the chronicle's Anita Hassan. She did an excellent story, detailed, leaving really no ifs, ands, or buts. However, the KPRC story is lacking in a couple of details. To be fair I checked the times. The chronicle story posted at 5:51am. Why did the KPRC story fails to mention the guy tried to steal the patrol car and fought with the deputy?
I Thought Black Was an Adjective
Well, thanks to the rampant PC madness, apparently now just the use of the word 'black' is offensive in Dallas according to Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley. A white man uses the term 'black hole' to make a comparison about the way tickets are handled. To borrow a Larry Elder term, Victicrat John Wiley took offense. Watch the video, and the lunacy here.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Want This Fool For a Neighbor?
I just have to copy the whole story from KHOU's website;
Click here for KTRK's story.
I don't want this fool to move in next to me!
Click here for KTRK's story.
PASADENA, Texas -- There are lots of ways to get rid of bugs, but blowing up one’s home is probably not high on that list.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to a Pasadena man Sunday.
The man reportedly left bug bombs in his apartment to get rid of pests, but he forgot to turn off his gas.
While he was gone, the gas ignited and blew out several windows.
Part of the ceiling also caved in as a result of the blast.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
I don't want this fool to move in next to me!
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