Complaint Review: Houston Police Department - Houston Texas

Brian, don't get me wrong, I find your issues entirely valid. But you just don't understand how scientific the modern trend of police profiling has become. There are university level studies conducted on a regular basis that seek to find correlations between seemingly innocent activities and criminal behavior. A generally accepted truth in criminological circles is that people who disregard minor laws are likely to violate major laws as well. Now, this doesn't always work out (i.e. few people who do no more than drive 5 mph over the speed limit are likely to be transporting drugs). But you'd be surprised at the correlation between a disregard for little stuff like making sure your stickers are good, or making sure that your insurance is up to date, and larger crimes. I'll see if I can dig up some stuff for you to look at to prove my point, because you are right to be critical of my assertions. It's the same phenomenon as how, nowadays, car insurance companies are basing your premiums, in part, on your credit score. Although the two may seem wholly unrelated, it has been found that people with bad credit are far more likely to be involved in car accidents. Basically, you can break society down into two camps. In "camp A" you have the people who take care of their business, pay their bills on time, and follow the law. In "camp B" you have people who do not take care of their business, don't pay their bills on time, and are likely to be involved in criminal activity. Is that an over-generalization? Probably. But with about 65% accuracy, we can say that a given individual will meet ALL of the characteristics of one of the two "camps." In other words, research has shown that the people who do "what they should" in their normal life tend to follow the law pretty well and exhibit care in their daily activities, whereas people who fail to do what they should tend to have trouble following the law and are usually rather reckless.

For the first person, you are assuming there is a direct link to someone with expired tags and other crimes. There is not. If an officer were to pull someone over with a bad sticker and find something else wrong with their vehicle, that is by pure chance. Obviously if you pull enough people over then eventually someone will screw up. But as I have mentioned several times, there were up to three officers on one corner. The chances of them getting anything more than a ticket for a tag were slim. Again, my problem was wasting that much man power. Again as mentioned above, if all three of those officers were driving in their cars at an average of 35MPH, imagine how much ground they could "protect," versus protecting one corner. If a criminal knows cops are sitting at an intersection, they will just go someplace that is not that intersection since the officers are in a static area. Now, if the officers are actually driving around looking for criminals, they would be more likely to find them. It also didn't help they were sitting at the same intersection for a week. As for, " But it is unrealistic to think that the police can be everywhere and stop every crime as it happens." You are right. And, it is even more unrealistic when we have them wasting their time sitting at a corner. And, by the way, a broken O2 sensor can make you fail an NOx test, but hardly takes a toll on the ozone.

I want the police to write tickets for people driving cars with bad catalytic converters and O2 sensors(*). There is no sense in belching out a bunch of unnecessary pollution and then telling a sad story about how you can't afford to fix it. Part of the cost of owning a car is keeping its equipment that is required by law in working order. If you disagree with a law, take it up with the legislature. Don't blame the police for enforcing it. (*) Now of course even more strongly I want the police arresting murderers, robbers, etc. before they victimize me. But it is unrealistic to think that the police can be everywhere and stop every crime as it happens. Having a presence on the street and looking into everyone's car makes some sense to try and make criminals think twice.

Brian, your innocent naivete is charming. This is probably why you didn't get searched. It's obvious to me, just from reading your speculations, that you are a very law-abiding person (aside from the sticker thing). The cops saw the same thing and decided it wasn't worth searching your car. The whole idea behind the sting is to weed out some vehicles with the potential for contraband production, to allow for a little further investigation to see if the possibility is strong, and to search if it seems like a good idea. Just because it wasn't in their best interests to search YOUR car doesn't mean that they aren't otherwise productive most of the time. And here's why I can tell you're a stand-up guy with no reason to be arousing suspicion: you actually think that all the people driving around with dope or guns in their cars are living the high life and, beyond that, actually taking care of their responsibilities (i.e., ensuring that they have the proper documentation on their vehicles). Lemme tell ya, I'm in a good place now in my life, but a few years back I was one of those people that the cops were hoping to nab that night. Neither I nor anyone else I spent time with was living the high life and driving around fancy cars. I was usually smart enough to be inconspicuous and make sure that my vehicle didn't give me away but, BELIEVE ME, most people with drugs in their cars are not so bright. You can disagree with me if you like, but I most certainly speak the truth. Just ask ANY cop, dopehead, prosecutor, criminal defense lawyer, criminal justice professor, whatever - those cops had the right idea.

Brian, your innocent naivete is charming. This is probably why you didn't get searched. It's obvious to me, just from reading your speculations, that you are a very law-abiding person (aside from the sticker thing). The cops saw the same thing and decided it wasn't worth searching your car. The whole idea behind the sting is to weed out some vehicles with the potential for contraband production, to allow for a little further investigation to see if the possibility is strong, and to search if it seems like a good idea. Just because it wasn't in their best interests to search YOUR car doesn't mean that they aren't otherwise productive most of the time. And here's why I can tell you're a stand-up guy with no reason to be arousing suspicion: you actually think that all the people driving around with dope or guns in their cars are living the high life and, beyond that, actually taking care of their responsibilities (i.e., ensuring that they have the proper documentation on their vehicles). Lemme tell ya, I'm in a good place now in my life, but a few years back I was one of those people that the cops were hoping to nab that night. Neither I nor anyone else I spent time with was living the high life and driving around fancy cars. I was usually smart enough to be inconspicuous and make sure that my vehicle didn't give me away but, BELIEVE ME, most people with drugs in their cars are not so bright. You can disagree with me if you like, but I most certainly speak the truth. Just ask ANY cop, dopehead, prosecutor, criminal defense lawyer, criminal justice professor, whatever - those cops had the right idea.

Brian, your innocent naivete is charming. This is probably why you didn't get searched. It's obvious to me, just from reading your speculations, that you are a very law-abiding person (aside from the sticker thing). The cops saw the same thing and decided it wasn't worth searching your car. The whole idea behind the sting is to weed out some vehicles with the potential for contraband production, to allow for a little further investigation to see if the possibility is strong, and to search if it seems like a good idea. Just because it wasn't in their best interests to search YOUR car doesn't mean that they aren't otherwise productive most of the time. And here's why I can tell you're a stand-up guy with no reason to be arousing suspicion: you actually think that all the people driving around with dope or guns in their cars are living the high life and, beyond that, actually taking care of their responsibilities (i.e., ensuring that they have the proper documentation on their vehicles). Lemme tell ya, I'm in a good place now in my life, but a few years back I was one of those people that the cops were hoping to nab that night. Neither I nor anyone else I spent time with was living the high life and driving around fancy cars. I was usually smart enough to be inconspicuous and make sure that my vehicle didn't give me away but, BELIEVE ME, most people with drugs in their cars are not so bright. You can disagree with me if you like, but I most certainly speak the truth. Just ask ANY cop, dopehead, prosecutor, criminal defense lawyer, criminal justice professor, whatever - those cops had the right idea.

"This is exactly what's going on. The cops aren't "wasting their time" enforcing minor sticker violations. Rather, the sticker violation sting is a pretext allowing for the stopping and detaining of individuals who, otherwise, would be shielded from such stops by the Fourth Amendment." That is just the thing, they did NO searching. So, I could very well have had several pounds of meth in my car and they would never have known. Or, an unconcious woman in my trunk. "It's sufficient that many people (but not all) who don't keep their cars legal are probably violating other laws as well." Doubtful, again, if someone is running drugs you can almost be assured they can afford to keep a car in running order. They do crimes like that for a reason; it's good money. "You make the point that the police's time would be better spent reacting to crimes in progress. " No I said nothing of that. I think their time would be better spent patrolling. Meaning they are actively covering ground to make sure crimes are not happening. Preventing them, not just responding to them. As I said earlier, there were three officers on one corner. Imagine how much ground they would have covered if all three were in their cars traveling about 35MPH. Perhaps the person who was shot in his car Saturday would still be alive. Also, I may not have mentioned that they have done this at the same intersection for a week straight. No news of any large drug bust, or violent criminal arrests came of these actions. Crimes tend not to happen in busy intersections. This is nothing more than an attempt to get more money into the system.

"This is exactly what's going on. The cops aren't "wasting their time" enforcing minor sticker violations. Rather, the sticker violation sting is a pretext allowing for the stopping and detaining of individuals who, otherwise, would be shielded from such stops by the Fourth Amendment." That is just the thing, they did NO searching. So, I could very well have had several pounds of meth in my car and they would never have known. Or, an unconcious woman in my trunk. "It's sufficient that many people (but not all) who don't keep their cars legal are probably violating other laws as well." Doubtful, again, if someone is running drugs you can almost be assured they can afford to keep a car in running order. They do crimes like that for a reason; it's good money. "You make the point that the police's time would be better spent reacting to crimes in progress. " No I said nothing of that. I think their time would be better spent patrolling. Meaning they are actively covering ground to make sure crimes are not happening. Preventing them, not just responding to them. As I said earlier, there were three officers on one corner. Imagine how much ground they would have covered if all three were in their cars traveling about 35MPH. Perhaps the person who was shot in his car Saturday would still be alive. Also, I may not have mentioned that they have done this at the same intersection for a week straight. No news of any large drug bust, or violent criminal arrests came of these actions. Crimes tend not to happen in busy intersections. This is nothing more than an attempt to get more money into the system.

"This is exactly what's going on. The cops aren't "wasting their time" enforcing minor sticker violations. Rather, the sticker violation sting is a pretext allowing for the stopping and detaining of individuals who, otherwise, would be shielded from such stops by the Fourth Amendment." That is just the thing, they did NO searching. So, I could very well have had several pounds of meth in my car and they would never have known. Or, an unconcious woman in my trunk. "It's sufficient that many people (but not all) who don't keep their cars legal are probably violating other laws as well." Doubtful, again, if someone is running drugs you can almost be assured they can afford to keep a car in running order. They do crimes like that for a reason; it's good money. "You make the point that the police's time would be better spent reacting to crimes in progress. " No I said nothing of that. I think their time would be better spent patrolling. Meaning they are actively covering ground to make sure crimes are not happening. Preventing them, not just responding to them. As I said earlier, there were three officers on one corner. Imagine how much ground they would have covered if all three were in their cars traveling about 35MPH. Perhaps the person who was shot in his car Saturday would still be alive. Also, I may not have mentioned that they have done this at the same intersection for a week straight. No news of any large drug bust, or violent criminal arrests came of these actions. Crimes tend not to happen in busy intersections. This is nothing more than an attempt to get more money into the system.

Let me preface this by pointing out that I agree with the fact that this represents a bit of an unetnable unvasion of privacy. But I've had enough education on these issues to tell you exactly what's going on here. Here's the first quote from you, pertinent to what's going on here: "Mind you this is in a crime ridden part of town." Then take this in mind: "they could catch someone trafficking drugs/guns, or could be a wanted criminal, etc." This is exactly what's going on. The cops aren't "wasting their time" enforcing minor sticker violations. Rather, the sticker violation sting is a pretext allowing for the stopping and detaining of individuals who, otherwise, would be shielded from such stops by the Fourth Amendment. Your response to this is valid, but flawed: "Problem with that (and the response I gave her which she never responded to) is that not all criminals will have expired stickers, and that an expired sticker doesn't tell you if someone has a gun in the car or drugs or a dead body." The problem with that logic is that there's nothing saying that a legally acceptable "profile" has to be accurate 100% of the time. It's sufficient that many people (but not all) who don't keep their cars legal are probably violating other laws as well. Couple that with the neighborhood this takes place in, and there's a d**n good chance that a bad sticker is the least of the legal violations taking place. And no, criminals generally aren't as bright as you give them credit for, and making sure that their vehicles are inconspicuous is usually the last thing on their minds. Now let me address this: "I am sure many crimes happen in the home. So HPDs way of thinking, I guess it should be okay for them to kick down doors and do random house searches." If they could, they would. So I guess you're right in a sense. The difference is that what they did to you is allowed by the law, where what you suggest is not. You make the point that the police's time would be better spent reacting to crimes in progress. Empirical evidence and criminological theory suggest that, while reacting to crimes in progress is important, it does nothing to curtail the overall crime rate. To actually bring down crime, police need to take more proactive steps, like the one you experienced. So if the cops are spreading themselves so thin that they aren't effectively patrolling and reacting to crimes, then you're right. But there is definitely a place in law enforcement for proactive "ferreting" measures.

For the 1st response: I agree that yes they need to suppliment their income. I disagree with the fact they did this three days in a row, using multiple police officers at the same time. All the while a shoot out occured about a mile away. Perhaps if these officers had been patrolling the area instead of limiting themselves to 3+ officers on ONE block, those people may not be DEAD now. For 2nd response: You have to have insurance to get the inspection sticker. But, you are assuming that someone who doesn't have the financial means to replace a $400 o2 sensor and $300 catalytic converter may not have insurance or is a criminal. That being said, I have yet to find one wreck caused by a bad o2 sensor. As for the rest of your comments, if a person was running drugs, do you not think they would make sure they had valid stickers? If the car was stolen, don't you think they would steal a car that would have updated stickers so not to draw attention to themselves? And, no, they weren't investigating further. I know because I was pulled over. They just made me pull over to a parking lot he took my info and gave me a ticket. No questions, nothing. Again, my complaint isn't the legality of expired stickers, but the fact that the finite resources of the police department are being used in that manner. All the while a half a mile away in the apartments I live in, two people have been robbed at gun point in the past year. And, another two people have been robbed at the place I work that is a BLOCK away from a police substation. I am upset more on the fact someone tried breaking into my mothers car that is parked on the side of the street out in the open, which would have made it easy for an officer not standing on the corner looking at inspection stickers to see. But wait, too bad, they did bust her window. I guess those evil people with cars that can't afford the $200 EGR valve were more important to go after.

If so, do you not want the uninsured, unsafe cars taken off the road? My state requires insurance in order to get an inspection sticker, so an expired sticker alerts the cops that something more may be happening, such as a stolen car, a drug rental, or just some moke driving around not caring who he bangs into. It gives the police probrable cause to investigate further, so I can't see why you'd be against it. Cleaning up the streets of all the illegal vehicles is one step in cleaning up the neighborhood.

I don't believe that all they do is try to catch sticker violators. They do have to drum up money to support the system somehow and things like that to supplement the tax payers money is how it's done. I'm sure there may be stakeouts and what not going on that the public doesn't even know about.