Mayor Turner, Black Lives Matter Houston address the future of police oversight board
Houston Police Officers’ Union also weighs in on recommendations from task force
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HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner said that work is underway to restructure a civilian police misconduct review board, which was under scrutiny for not being effective at holding officers accountable.
An overhaul of the Independent Police Oversight Board, or IPOB, was one of the main recommendations addressed in a Turner-commissioned policing reform task force, which published findings of its review in September.
Since then, community activists have called on Turner to begin implementing many of the policy recommendations. But many allege Turner isn’t moving quickly enough and hasn’t kept the public in the know about what’s underway.
Houston police officer under investigation after participating in U.S. Capitol riot
MGN Photo
Posted at 4:25 PM, Jan 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-17 17:27:02-05
An 18-year veteran of the Houston Police Department is under federal investigation for his participation in the riot at the U.S. Capitol last week, Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
On Sunday, a community member sent Acevedo a picture of the patrol officer carrying a Trump flag outside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 rally, Acevedo said. The officer had also posted a photo of himself at the Capitol on Facebook. Acevedo then contacted the FBI to launch a joint investigation into the officerâs role in the riot.
Off-duty police were part of the Capitol mob. Now police are turning in their own.
Kimberly Kindy, Kim Bellware and Mark Berman, The Washington Post
Jan. 16, 2021
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Supporters of President Trump take over balconies and inauguration scaffolding at the Capitol on Jan. 6.Washington Post photo by Matt McClain.
WASHINGTON - During the chaos at the Capitol, overwhelmed police officers confronted and combated a frenzied sea of rioters who transformed the seat of democracy into a battlefield. Now police chiefs across the country are confronting the uncomfortable reality that members in their own ranks were among the mob that faced off against other law enforcement officers.
The reckoning within police departments comes as plans for new demonstrations this weekend and on inauguration day are solidifying, with US authorities warning of the potential for violence in state capitals. Participants are expected to protest election results that made Joe Biden president-elect. We are making clear that they have First Amendment rights like all Americans, said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, who on Thursday accepted the resignation of an 18-year veteran in his department due to his involvement in the riot, which followed a rally at which US President Donald Trump urged his supporters to not accept his defeat. However, engaging in activity that crosses the line into criminal conduct will not be tolerated.