L.E.A.P. — Law Enforcement Accountability Policy
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Houston Mayoral Candidate Ben Hall today unveiled his comprehensive plan to promote accountability of Houston Police Officers to the public in the wake of heightened distrust of law enforcement across the country.
“Too many of our children are dying at the hands of police under questionable circumstances and too many citizens simply do not trust the police,” says Hall. “Such distrust will only lead to more bad consequences, and more funerals.”
“Let me be clear. Both citizens and the officers of the Houston Police Department are entitled to respect. We need police to protect us from criminals. Our officers’ loved ones want them to come home safe at night, and we need to ensure encounters between police and our communities do not begin for the wrong reasons or end in unnecessary death.”
To enhance more trust and respect, Hall released his initiative called L.E.A.P. — which stands for Law Enforcement Accountability Policy:
LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY POLICY
I. An effective and independent Citizen Police Review Board will be empaneled. This nine member board will be empowered with subpoena power, and will have three members chosen from the community, one member from the business community, two members from the judiciary, two members from the law enforcement community and a member representing the Mayor’s office.
II. Houston Police Officers will be required to appear before the Citizens Police Review Board on probable violation cases to directly answer questions about departmental policy violations lodged against them.
III. Every HPD officer interacting with the public on the streets will be equipped with and required to wear a body camera, with open microphones, to record every interaction. Any deliberate attempt to compromise the recordings will be grounds for disciplinary action, including termination.
IV. Every HPD officer will be required to provide his/her badge number upon being request to do so by any citizen, unless doing so would jeopardize the safety of the officer or another. The badge number must be provided, however, as soon as is reasonably possible without posing risk to the officer or another.
V. Confirmed excessive force complaints against officers will be posted on-line by badge number, along with a summary of the complaints and findings.
VI. Any police officer using deadly force that causes death or serious bodily injury will be required to submit to immediate drug and alcohol testing. A positive test will be grounds for immediate disciplinary action, including termination.
VII. Houston Police Officers will not become unreasonably rude or escalate conflicts with the public, nor shall they intentionally place themselves in harm’s way to invite the use of deadly force.
VIII. Any Houston Police Officer who covers up for another officer’s wrongdoing will be held accountable for the same violation as the offending officer for whom he or she covered up.
IX. Dash Camera and Body Camera video of any altercation in which a citizen is charged with assault on a police officer or resisting arrest will be submitted to and/or reviewed by the Citizen Police Review Board members within 24 hours after written reports are filed.
X. Sworn complaints against any Houston Police Officer may be filed at any public library or public city building. Citizens who file false complaints on law enforcement officers will be investigated and charged with the crime of filing a false report.
We no longer have the luxury of absolute trust of police officers. This is a regrettable fact, but one that needn’t persist. With these policy enhancements it is hoped that the deserved trust of out police officers will be re-established.
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