Harris County Commissioners vote to study police procedures

From the InBox:

GARCIA LEADS ON LONG-OVERDUE LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORM

COMING TO HARRIS COUNTY

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Commissioner Adrian Garcia supported several proposed new law enforcement procedures to help end police misconduct

Harris County, TX — Following his attendance at the funeral for George Floyd Tuesday, and after a marathon session of Harris County Commissioners Court, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia was on the forefront of several criminal justice reform measures that were ultimately passed by court. The aim of these measures is to create meaningful change to immediately reduce and eventually eliminate misconduct by county law enforcement officials.

Due to the items’ approval, Harris County will soon begin evaluating the following (for expected additional future court action): investigating a standardization of use-of-force tactics, increasing public reporting when law enforcement officials are accused of misconduct, additional sharing of body-cam footage from officer-involved deaths and injuries of suspects, considering a shift in who responds to mental health distress calls, as well as several other groundbreaking moves.

“Though it occured in Minnesota, here in Harris County, however, the tragic death of George Floyd will not have happened in vain. Real reform of how officers deal with the public is coming, so that going forward, what happened to George will hopefully never be repeated in the county where he grew up. I thank my colleagues on Commissioners Court for their assistance in getting these items approved,” said Commissioner Garcia.

SUMMARY OF ITEMS APPROVED BY COURT:

• Resolution honoring the life of George Floyd, acknowledging and decrying racist law enforcement procedures that led to his death (passed 4-1)
• Evaluation and eventual recommendations to propose standardization of use-of-force tactics (3 motions – all passed, 5-0, 4-1, & 4-1)
• Engaging the community to discuss best practices for county law enforcement budgets (passed unanimously)
• Study to evaluate who best should respond to potential mental health crises (passed unanimously)
• Consideration of a Community Oversight Board (passed unanimously)
• Analysis of racial disparities in incarceration rates (passed unanimously)

Note: Some of these measures approved by Commissioners Court were proposed by other members. Commissioner Garcia voted in favor of all of them.

Those are fairly modest proposals and included some Republican support. But in today’s Harris County Republican Party, this is scary stuff. From the Harris County Republican Party Executive Committee (non-official) Facebook page:

Good grief. Defunding the police? Sending UN peacekeepers into US cities? Planning to keep the riots going? All to keep DJT from being re-elected!

Of course. This folks, is your modern Harris County Republican Party. Damn shame it’s gotten to this.

The idea that Adrian Garcia, former HPD officer and former Harris County Sheriff would propose defunding police is ludicrous.

Anyone that doesn’t see a need to change and demilitarize our community police forces is simply refusing to face the current reality. To whine and moan about these innocuous measures by the Harris County Commissioners Court is just plain nuts.

Good job by the Commissioners.

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