Houston Police Department

Man Murdered for Playing Loud Music in His Truck, Perpetrators on the Loose

On December 3 around 3:30 a.m., Silas Armando Najera-Hernandez and three other men were driving around the parking lot at Bar Uno, located at 5829 South Gessner Drive in southwest Houston. As Najera-Hernandez navigated the silver Ford F-150 pickup through the crowded lot, loud music screamed out o ... More >>

[PHOTO] JJ Watt Tweets Photo with Actual S.W.A.T. Team

JJ Watt is batting down balls on the football field at a record pace for a defensive lineman earning him the obvious nickname JJ "Swatt." Yesterday, he tweeted out a photo of himself in full riot gear with members of the Houston Police Department S.W.A.T. team near downtown with the tweet, "Houston, ... More >>

Unidentified Woman Found Dead at Home During Welfare Check: Bayou Body Count No. 115

An autopsy is being performed on a woman found dead at 237 West 18th St. No. 4 at 11:05 p.m. Sunday, Houston Police report. The woman's identity is being withheld pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

ACLU: Police Seizing of Witness's Phone Illegal and Totally Not Cool

The ACLU of Texas is criticizing a Houston police officer's alleged seizing of a witness's cell phone at the scene where the officer shot an unarmed man. HPD says Officer J. McGowan shot Rufino Lara while investigating an alleged assault after he refused both English and Spanish commands to put his ... More >>

Throwback Units: Ten Other Vintage Cop Car Designs HPD Should Consider

Everybody wants to go retro. From throwback uniforms in professional sports to 80s hipster hairdos, everybody is kicking it old school. Cars are not all that different. Dodge re-invented the Charger, the Volkswagen Beetle got re-issued a few years back and we assume a reset of the El Camino is on th ... More >>

Former HPD Cop Andrew Blomberg Not Guilty in Chad Holley Case (UPDATED)

A jury has found former HPD officer Andrew Blomberg not guilty of official oppression in connection with the arrest of Chad Holley. The video of the arrest showed officers seemingly whaling away on the teen, who was running from a burglary. Blomberg was one of four HPD officers who were fired; the ... More >>

Seven Vintage Houston Police Cars, Including The Rare HPD Gremlin

Arcadia Publishing, the outfit that specializes in photo-filled historical books and gave us last year's look at Foley's department store, is out with a look at the Houston Police Department. It's filled with shots of cops through the years, the celebrities they protected, the cases they worked. I ... More >>

Annise Parker: Occupy Houston Must Leave Park By Dusk Today (UPDATED)

Mayor Annise Parker says that Occupy Houston supporters in Tranquility Park must leave by dusk today. "I told Occupy Houston leaders in January they need to decide the next phase for their effort," Parker said. "I support their right to free speech and I'm sympathetic to their call for reform of th ... More >>

Occupy Houston: Where Everything Is An Emergency That Local Media (Including Us) Fall For

Photo by Brittanie SheyOccupy Houston holds an impromptu assembly.​Hair Balls now has something in common with the local Fox and CBS affiliates. We're all suckers. On Tuesday afternoon, in light of the recent shutdown of Occupy Oakland, Hair Balls did some recon by contacting one of our sourc ... More >>

The Modular Food Truck's Run-in with HPD Last Night at Liberty Station: UPDATED

An HPD officer allegedly threatened a food truck over what the food truck owner says are non-existent "violations."​UPDATE: The Public Information Office of the HPD called to say that, as of 2 p.m. "no complaint has been filed. No one by that name has filed an [Internal Affairs Division] compl ... More >>

Food Truck Driver Says Cop Hassled Him

An HPD officer allegedly threatened a food truck over what the food truck owner says are nonexistent "violations."​UPDATE: HPD's public information office called to say that, as of 2 p.m., "no complaint has been filed. No one by that name has filed an [Internal Affairs Division] complaint," th ... More >>

HPD Says: Please Help Us Find The Guys Who Stole Our Bait Car

The idea behind police bait cars is a sound one -- rig up a car that's just begging to be stolen, put it in a vulnerable spot and then wait for a thief to try his luck. It doesn't always work, though. KHOU reports that HPD is asking for the public's assistance ... More >>

Unidentifed Male Left For Dead Outside After-Hours Club, Bayou Body Count No. 136

Left for dead outisde a nightclub​The body of a man who was shot to death was discovered outside a southwest-side after-hours club early Monday morning, but that's about all police know. The body was found about 6 a.m. Labor Day outside the La Raza Discotec on Hillcroft near Bellaire Boulevar ... More >>

Red-Light Cameras: In First Six Days Back On, 2,700 Citations Issued

The money machine is up to speed​The money machine has been cranked up in full: the Houston Police Department reports that in the first six days of returning to operations, the city's 67 red-light cameras racked up more than 2,700 citations issued to drivers. Those lucky drivers will be getti ... More >>

HPD Crows Over Another Crime-Rate Drop

"Safest big city in America," chief says​The Houston Police Department is once again boasting of a noticeable drop in crimes, as reported to a national database. Comparing the first half of 2011 to the first half of 2010, murder is down 37.1 percent, robberies 20.8 percent and overall violent ... More >>

Keith Monteds Brown, 40, Bayou Body Count No. 67

Gunned down at home​A man answered a knock on the door at his south Houston home last night and was shot to death, police say. Keith Monteds Brown, 40, was in his home in the 4200 block of Groton around 9 p.m. last night when he answered the door, HPD says. He was then gunned down and pronou ... More >>

City Selling Its Downtown HPD Headquarters, Preventing Jailer Layoffs

For sale or lease: HPD HQ​Houston will look to sell or lease the downtown police headquarters as part of a deal that will keep HPD from having to lay off 273 jailers, Mayor Annise Parker announced today. The city and the HPD pension plan also agreed to allow the city to defer payment of $17 m ... More >>

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na, BAT VAN!

One wonders if the HPD Lego BAT Van will be hitting shelves this year.​The Houston Police Department posted a video on their YouTube account today to inform Houstonians about a new DWI crackdown and a new vehicle they think will aid them. The Breath Alcohol Testing or "BAT" Van is a mobile fac ... More >>

Parker Announces New HPD Oversight Reforms That Will Be Very, Very Different from Countless Past HPD Oversight Reforms

HPD: This time they'll get it right. Right?​There's nothing like a bunch of grown men getting caught on tape stomping the hell out of a defenseless teenager to get the ol' government gears grindin'. Responding to the political shitstorm stirred up by the Chad Holley video, Mayor Annise Parker ... More >>

HPD with New Anti-DWI Initiative: You've Been Warned

HPDAnother anti-DWI crackdown is under way​Law enforcement agencies like the DA's office always like to tout new anti-DWI drives, usually tied to a holiday. The Houston Police Department got in on the game today, holding a press conference with MADD to let the public know they'll be cracking ... More >>

Texas Police Pimp Their Rides With Trunk Rumblers

lemonsauctioneers.comThis ride may be beyond pimping.​The next time you hear a boom box roaring thunderously at the traffic light, listen closely before cursing under your breath. It could be a patrol car trying to squeak by. Channel 11 News reported this week that a new emergency vehicle sir ... More >>

Unidentified Female, Bayou Body Count No. 283

Murdered, possibly raped, and abandoned​The body of a woman who was likely murdered and possibly raped was found near a northside bayou Sunday evening, police say. An autopsy will be performed, but HPD told reporters foul play is suspected. A couple of kids discovered the body about 5:30 p.m ... More >>

Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 276

Shot in the chest​Houston Police are investigating a fatal shooting by three unknown suspects who kicked in the door of a residence Sunday morning. The unknown victim, a man in his 30's, was shot in the chest as the suspect fled the scene. He was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital where he wa ... More >>

Red Light Cameras: How Will HPD Make Up The $10 Million Loss?

Possible new guildelines for HPD​Mayor Annise Parker has turned off the red light cameras, but she has also said that the move will cost the Houston Police Department $10 million a year. In a time of tight budgets, with talk of furloughs and cutbacks, it's a tough hit to take. If only there w ... More >>

HPD Says Crime Is Down, Down, Down In Houston Town

Crime? What crime?​The Houston Police Department is crowing over what it says is a significant drop in major-crime rates in the city so far this year.We feel safer already.HPD says the first three quarters of 2010 have seen a lot fewer incidents than the same period of 2009: Violent crime is down ... More >>

Houston Police Museum

HPD show off its history with a new museum

Another Day, Another Awkward Annise Parker Statement On HPD

Not exactly a low-key week for the new chief​Fresh off a low-key description of what's described as a "horrific" beating of a teen-age burglary suspect by Houston Police, Mayor Annise Parker has once again been forced to acknowledge some alleged HPD misbehavior.In the wake of reports that HPD offi ... More >>

Judge Says No To Beards In The HPD

​The effort by some Houston police officers to wear beards on the job (and off the job, too, we guess) was dealt a setback when a federal judge threw their lawsuit out of court.HPD brass trumpeted the decision by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal in a press release in which chief Harold Hurtt said ... More >>

HPD's Crime Lab Is In The News Again

As if the Houston Police crime lab didn't have enough problems, it discovered a new one today: fire.A small container caught fire on the same floor as the lab at HPD headquarters downtown this afternoon; as a result a half-dozen fire trucks converged on the building, three floors were evacuated and ... More >>

We're Suing Over This "Sanctuary City" Crap!! Umm, Maybe Not Right Now

The stage at the Houston Police Officers' Union was literally set for a big announcement today. Microphones had been hooked up, chairs for the media had been arranged in rows and press releases had been e-mailed all across town. Everyone was eager to hear all about a lawsuit that a Washington, D.C.- ... More >>

Breaking News: Cops Don't Like Being Told They're Fat

Photo by sylvarSo far, no one's pointed to any evidence linking lack of physical fitness among some Houston Police Department officers with problems like the disproportionate Tasering of minorities, the shootings of quite a few mentally ill folks, or even the supreme fuck-up that put an innocent man ... More >>

If The Light Was Working, So Was The Red-Light Camera

Ike Beats Oprah, With HPD's Help

HPD Cops Indicted For Stealing From HPD Cops

Get Lit: Q&A with Sgt. Brian Foster of the Houston Police Department

The Sole of Houston: Working for You

The Houston Police Department's Attack of the Drones

But at Least the Guns Aren’t Gay…

Re: From Hairballs: Cameras Record Abusive Insidious Graffiti-ers

From Hairballs: Cameras Record Abusive Insidious Graffiti-ers

NYPD Black and Blue

Houston police boxers plan to bruise the Big Apple

Best Graffiti Artist

Next

To Protect and Serve Art

Instant Gratification

Reefer Madness

Does Houston's biggest drug-prevention program keep kids clean or just make cops feel good?

The Great Smokeout

Massive HPD sting nails desperate teenage cigarette thieves

A Whiter Shade of Blue

The White Officers Association is making waves in HPD

Shhhhhh!

Top-secret HPD document exposed

The Policy That Won't Die

Despite five deaths in recent weeks, HPD stands by its car chases

Who's Guarding the Guardians?

HPD hires rent-a-cops to patrol the main police complex

Giving the Big No to Nuchia

HPD rank-and-file reject the chief's promotions policy -- and the chief himself