WHY HOUSTON COPS ARE NOT GOING TO BE FLIES ON STINK

Reacting to a serial killing parolee, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo declared that his officers would be on parolees like flies on stink

After parolee Jose Rodriguez went on a crime spree that included the robbery-murders of a homeowner and the managers of two mattress stores, and the shooting of a bus driver, an angry Houston police chief declared:

“Two things community needs to know: We are going to be flies on stink on parolees. They are not going to like living here unless they want to be responsible members of the community.”

I believe Chief Art Acevedo really wants his officers to crack down on parolees, but they are not going to be flies on stink. Acevedo is in a no win-no win situation. If officers are diverted to be on parolees like flies on stink, people will complain loudly that his cops are not protecting them from the burglars, rapists and robbers who are not on parole.

For his officers to be on parolees like flies on stink, Acevedo will have to establish a special Parolee Surveillance Unit. There are about 17,000 parolees in Houston. How many cops would have to staff that surveillance unit in order to keep an eye on 17,000 parolees? There is no way the Houston city council will provide the necessary funds to establish and maintain such a special unit.

It’s the parole officers that need to be flies on stink, not cops. That’s not going to happen under the present parole system.

The whole parole system needs to be changed so that parolees will be supervised in the evenings and on weekends, instead of just on Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. No more office visits unless the parole officer has to see the parolee for some special reason or if the parolee wants to see his parole officer. And all field visits should be made on a surprise basis, not by appointment.

Of course, this will require budgeting for an adequate number of parole officers, and you won’t see that happening in your lifetime.

Houston cops really shouldn’t be doing what parole officers should be doing. Since Acevedo will not get the funds for a special Parolee Surveillance Unit and the state legislature will not provide the funds for an adequate number of parole officers, Houstonians are just left with waiting for the next Jose Rodriguez to come along.