Chief McClelland: we do have a mediation process with our complaints. Sometimes a person is dissatisfied with an officer and they want to tell him/her how they felt. We do talk and people use the word profiling. We need to agree on some common definitions. Profiling is very broad. We can simplify that if we put it in two categories, racial and criminal.
Racial is illegal because you are only stopping them because of their race. Criminal profiling is legal. It is based on behavior. There is a difference.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Question: please remember the communication sensitivities with the deaf and hard of hearing
Chief McClelland: we have put special emphasis on the deaf and hard of hearing community. This citizen is a very active participant in our PIP. I don't ever want anything to happen like he described (officer involved shooting in another state) We have over 1300 officers who are bilingual.
As far as training is concerned, we have video for interpreters at all stations to assist the deaf and hard of hearing. We have also installed video in the patrol cars so if a deaf person gets stopped they can bring the citizen to the car to help communicate.
We are one of the few agencies that offers these type of resources for the deaf and hard of hearing.
As far as training is concerned, we have video for interpreters at all stations to assist the deaf and hard of hearing. We have also installed video in the patrol cars so if a deaf person gets stopped they can bring the citizen to the car to help communicate.
We are one of the few agencies that offers these type of resources for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Question: In asking for the death penalty and saying you are taking it personally, do you think you influence the case?
DA Anderson: There's been a long tradition at the DA's office that the district attorney tries cop killer cases. The media always reports when we decide on a death penalty case.
Jury selection is individual on both the prosecutor and the defense attorney and I don't feel I influenced the case.
Jury selection is individual on both the prosecutor and the defense attorney and I don't feel I influenced the case.
Question: Do officers have a right to search cars during a traffic stop? (and others statements and questions)
DA Anderson: Regarding the grand jury leaking I want to hear about that. We don't take charges unless there is probably cause.
Chief McClelland: You're right, no one is saying things are perfect in Houston. You made an important point that there is a gap in some of our programs and initiatives especially with those in their late teens and 20s. There are not a lot of community policing programs addressing them.
The point is we have a broken relationship with the people I was describing. We need to find a way to positively engage with these citizens.
Does an officer have the right to search a person's car? It depends on the behavior. Officers may be able to search the immediate area otherwise it must be as a result of an arrest or a warrant.
All officers go through psychological testing. I am agreeing with you that we have to get better with some segments of the population.
Chief McClelland: You're right, no one is saying things are perfect in Houston. You made an important point that there is a gap in some of our programs and initiatives especially with those in their late teens and 20s. There are not a lot of community policing programs addressing them.
The point is we have a broken relationship with the people I was describing. We need to find a way to positively engage with these citizens.
Does an officer have the right to search a person's car? It depends on the behavior. Officers may be able to search the immediate area otherwise it must be as a result of an arrest or a warrant.
All officers go through psychological testing. I am agreeing with you that we have to get better with some segments of the population.
Question: What happens if a body camera gets turned off before a citizen is assaulted? Also, do you look at biases of officers?
Chief McClelland: regarding body cameras, it is a new concept but not with HPD. We have had body cameras for over a year. That decision was made a long time ago to implement them. It is technology that gets outdated very quickly.
The international association chief's of police have developed a model policy and have combined that into our policies. There has to be training. Battery life won't allow for the camera to be "turned off." Some situations it is not proper to record, sexual assault suspects, juveniles, etc. There are times when the camera has to be off, but not when they are engaging in police activity.
Everyone has biases. We can't do anything about that because it is a part of where we come from. Our training is situational. What kind of behavior is the person engaging in? We try to eliminate stereotypes.
The international association chief's of police have developed a model policy and have combined that into our policies. There has to be training. Battery life won't allow for the camera to be "turned off." Some situations it is not proper to record, sexual assault suspects, juveniles, etc. There are times when the camera has to be off, but not when they are engaging in police activity.
Everyone has biases. We can't do anything about that because it is a part of where we come from. Our training is situational. What kind of behavior is the person engaging in? We try to eliminate stereotypes.
Question: I would like to serve on a jury but I never get picked
DA Anderson: If you get a summons the best way you can get on is not to talk. Sit there and look pleasant.
Chief McClelland: I agree with you; you will never hear me use the term thin blue line. I think police officers are a blue fabric that holds societies together. All of us in uniforms we are the public. We are citizens that you have chosen to protect this city. There is no special or different place where we chose these individuals from. They are your relatives, your neighbors.
Chief McClelland: I agree with you; you will never hear me use the term thin blue line. I think police officers are a blue fabric that holds societies together. All of us in uniforms we are the public. We are citizens that you have chosen to protect this city. There is no special or different place where we chose these individuals from. They are your relatives, your neighbors.
Question: We need to fix the grand jury system in house; need to examine what it means to be a grand juror
DA Anderson: The DA's office take charges; police has to get approval from us. Then the person goes in front of a magistrate to determine probably cause to continue with the case. It then goes to court if there is.
Every felony in Texas has to go to a grand jury. They listen to facts of the case to determine if the case can continue. It sounds like I have to go and look at the training the grand jury gets. They get a day of training.
If you ever feel you are not getting treated right or if you're lost, you can contact the judge. The judge can explain. The prosecutor also is supposed to explain the law to you.
Every felony in Texas has to go to a grand jury. They listen to facts of the case to determine if the case can continue. It sounds like I have to go and look at the training the grand jury gets. They get a day of training.
If you ever feel you are not getting treated right or if you're lost, you can contact the judge. The judge can explain. The prosecutor also is supposed to explain the law to you.
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