May 2020

In this issue:

William Skeen: New director honored to lead what the record shows is the biggest and best 100 Club in the United States

Tom Kennedy, Editor

Here we go with understatements again. The 100 Club of Houston began 67 years ago with 100 Houstonians each contributing $100 to benefit surviving families of officers killed in the line of duty. Back in 1953 that was an impressive amount of money – well, until you learn exactly how much what is now known Read More Read more

Thank you to the HPOU

Editorial Staff

HPOU, I would like to thank the scholarship committee for selecting me as a recipient of the 2020 HPOU Scholarship Award. This scholarship has reassured me that I can continue to pursue a college career with high expectations and established goals. Leroy K. Ferguson III Thank you for all of your kind words. My dad Read More Read more

Congratulations 2020 HPOU Scholarship Winners

Editorial Staff

Virus claims another assembly victim – the Scholarship Breakfast The HPOU presented in absentia scholarships to 78 sons and daughters of HPD officers as part of the annual scholarship program, one of the Union’s most popular and exciting traditions. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus safety measures prevented the traditional breakfast which recognizes each one of the recipients. Read More Read more

April Patrol Officer of the Month Price took brave steps five stories up to save a would-be suicide victim

Editorial Staff

Although HPOU has cancelled its monthly general membership meetings, the Union is not prevented from announcing its patrol officer and investigator of the month honors. The HPOU Patrol Officer of the Month for April is Officer Harold Price, who responded to a welfare check/urgent CIT call in the 3300 block of Wesleyan. The caller reported Read More Read more

Obituaries

Editorial Staff

BLANCHARD Retired Sergeant Elton L. Blanchard, Jr. passed away on Monday, April 27, 2020, at the age of 62. His wife, Katy Ellen Blanchard survives him. He joined the Houston Police Department on January 28, 1980, Academy Class No. 90. During his career with the department, he was assigned to the Central, Special Operations, Jail, Read More Read more

Motorcycle Officer Landry Collides with Car As he’s Chasing a Speeder on Tuam Avenue

Editorial Staff

EOW: December 2, 1930 D. Landry was born in Louisiana on November 23, 1895. It is unknown how long he served as a Houston police officer. On Tuesday, December 2, 1930, Motorcycle Officers J. D. Landry and A. O. Taylor were working traffic in the near south end of downtown. Officer Landry began chasing a Read More Read more

DA Candidate Mary Nan Huffman: The problem with Kim Ogg is lack of LEADERSHIP, prosecutor training and office morale

Tom Kennedy, Editor

Mary Nan Huffman should be out on the campaign trail as well as taking the fast lane on the fundraising path in her effort to unseat Kim Ogg as the Harris County district attorney. But under the social distancing requirements in place to combat the Coronavirus outbreak, Huffman is taking advantage of social media, the Read More Read more

Detective Escobar selected April Investigator of the Month for his solving sexual assault case almost 10 years old

Editorial Staff

Detective Douglas Escobar was assigned a case in which the complainant had been sexually assaulted in 2010 by a famous opera singer. The case was near end of the 10-year statute of limitations, so time was of the essence. The complainant was a young 23-year-old male who was aspiring to be an opera singer and Read More Read more

Investigator of the Month Michael Lareau went above and beyond to help victim of Human Trafficking, securing conviction of suspect

Editorial Staff

The HPOU is honoring Detective Michael Lareau as its Investigator of the Month for May. Vice Commander James B. Dale nominated Lareau and presented this account of the case which led to his nomination and selection. Detective Lareau interviewed a victim of Human Trafficking. The victim stated she believed she was in a dating relationship Read More Read more

No assembly to honor HPOU scholars but let’s recognize them!

Tom Kennedy, Editor

COVID-19 HAS WREAKED HAVOC ON ASSEMBLIES DESIGNED TO celebrate excellence and honor the brightest and best amongst us. We just can’t assemble like we used to for a still-unknown amount of time. Not only did this effectively postpone or possibly cancel the Assist the Officer Heroes Gala, it cancelled the annual breakfast honoring the recipients Read More Read more

Remembering ‘Brewster’: COVID-19 hampers fundraising run recognizing family violence victims and memorializing the brave sergeant who gave his life in the line of duty

Detective Jennifer Ayala

Dec. 7, 2019. A date that will forever be ingrained into my memories, a date that will forever be ingrained into the lives of many, and a date forever engraved on the beautiful Houston Police Officer’s Memorial on Memorial Drive. The name is Christopher Brewster, although I only knew him as “Brewster.” Recalling the chain Read More Read more

Once in foster care system for two years, a child has only a 25 percent chance of ever being adopted

Ashley Fields, Co-Founder and Director Way Home Adoption

Without intervention, only 22 percent of the older youth lingering in foster care will be adopted before their 18th birthday while the rest will ‘age out’ or a”emancipate” from the system. The Way Home Adoption, Inc. is the only organization in Texas focusing exclusively on finding adoptive homes for these youth. Our mission is to Read More Read more

Officers Stepp and Powell apprehend capital murder suspect, Named HPOU Patrol Officers of the Month for May

Editorial Staff

Officers Jordan Stepp and Eddy Powell have been selected HPOU Patrol Officers of the Month for May for their steadfast work apprehending a man accused of capital murder. Here are the details of what happened and how Stepp and Powell apprehended the suspect. On Sunday Feb. 9, just before midnight, a capital murder occurred in Read More Read more

Pandemic Plan: HPOU goes thousands of miles to process hand sanitizer but doesn’t have to go far to get free meals from local restaurants

Tom Kennedy, Editor

The Houston Police Officers Union is leaving no road untraveled and no ethanol supplier untapped in its detailed ongoing effort to supply HPD officers with masks, hand sanitizers and hot meals from some of the city’s most dedicated restauranteurs and sandwich makers. Thanks to radio personality Michael Berry, the Union was instrumental in the distribution Read More Read more

We Will Endure, We Will Overcome, Together

Joe Gamaldi, President

There are no magic words I can say, no quote I can offer that will remove the incredible grief we are all feeling right now. Even days after the helicopter crash that claimed his life, it still doesn’t seem real that we have lost our brother, Officer Jason Knox. If you didn’t have the pleasure Read More Read more

The Presidents Message

We Will Endure, We Will Overcome, Together

If you didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Jason, he was a great officer, husband, father, son, and a great man. I had the pleasure of getting to know Jason over the last few years as he restored two classic Houston police cars.. His passion for these projects was unlike anything I had seen, and he would go into excruciating detail of just how hard it was to find that perfect paint color. He would then bemoan the point that it was not “perfect” but good enough.

Let me assure you, as most have seen the cars, they truly are perfect, but that was just his personality. His dream assignment on the Houston Police Department was to be at “Fox.” When he finally got there, he was beyond excited and couldn’t wait to attend flight school this summer. I believe the phrase getting thrown around at me was, “Oh man I am going to stay here forever.”

Jason was truly the best of us and it’s hard to adequ

Psych Services: Your kids are bored – Don’t let them find a gun

As we struggle with the pandemic, safe weapon storage is more important than ever. Times are desperate. We’re unnerved by missed paychecks, shortages and stories of makeshift morgues. Kids are stuck at home all day, and they’re exploring.

In the best of times, Texans are too casual about gun storage. Tragically, we lead the nation in accidental gun deaths. Simple precautions could save lives. Let’s not stick to the status quo in a radically altered world.

HPD data shows that more than 7,100 guns were stolen from Houston vehicles between Jan. 1, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2019. Sgt. Tracy Hicks in Auto Theft was kind enough to explain why.

Back in the day, thieves wanted your forgotten laptop, he said. Now that it’s only worth about $40, they care less. A stolen gun, on the other hand, can sell for as much as $600 to $900.

Sgt. Hicks said crooks systematically work their way through parking lots breaking car window after car window searching for just weapons: “Smash, smash, smash.”

Hidden in Plain Sight?

If a criminal acquires your gun, it’s a shame. If the little bandits you live with get it, it’s an unspeakable tragedy. A child or teen wh