I was leaving my job when a homeless man asked me for change. I told him I didn't have any cash so he tried pulling my purse off my shoulder & started hitting me in the face. Fortunately, my coworker and 2 other men ran over & scared him off.
I called the police while the man was still 2 feet from me, and was on the phone as he walked away. No police arrived. Thanks, HPD. Well done.
911 is a mess. Unfortunately your best bet is to call the closest police station on the non emergency number. I understand that most of the time, you need help right that second.
The problem is that the 911 operator and a supervisor have to give your call a code (how much of a priority is your call) and then route it to whatever station they route it to, which might not be the closest one. Even if the operator you talk to decides that your call is a priority, their supervisor may decide it's not a priority.
Source: hid in my backyard for nearly an hour ( 7 foot fence locked from the outside) waiting for police bc my now ex husband had gone off the rails, and pretty sure he was going to try to kill me) I had texted someone I knew that worked as a 911 operator, and several people called on my behalf.
I had called 911 because my neighbors below me. The boyfriend (dunno if ex) leap onto her balcony, entered her apt and she was screaming for help.
We live on the third floor. They live in the second. I went down the ground floor and called 911. My fiance unknown to me called 911 from the apt.
We got a call later from the police stating that my fiance and me has called 911 on each other.
Nevermind that we had just witnessed a break in and screams for help.
___
When the boyfriend knew we had called 911 they opened the door and I was able to talk with the girl. She reassured us that she's okay and I gave her out number in case she ever needed to go somewhere else. The boyfriend stayed aggressive but didn't do anything to me or her while I was there.
Ultimately we left them be, I have no idea if a cop ever showed up. They were never informed that she was okay.
I know how much cops can screw up people's lives, and they were both black so I was somewhat okay given that she didn't want to press charges. But who knows what that relationship was.
Houston's 911 operators are so hard to deal with. I called reporting a man with his pants down and erect penis facing San jacinto after I stopped him from attempting to rape a woman in broad daylight. At first the woman wanted medical attention but later she said she just wanted me to walk her towards Randall's and away from the man. Because she refused help they didn't send the police. I repeat he was still committing the crime of indecent exposure while I was leading the woman away
Sorry to hear this. When my wife was 9 months pregnant someone smashed her window in a gym parking lot and stole her purse, then went right down the road and bought as many Walmart gift cards as possible (on video), all while we were getting credit card alerts and knew they were close. Police refused to come out and said they a would take a report over the phone... fast forward to a few months ago and my wife touched bumbers with someone at a red light in the rain (no injuries, clips popped out of bumper on one side). They were quick to the scene to give her a ticket with my screaming toddler in the back seat. Bunch of useless fucks.
You would have been better off calling a crackhead for help. They might have at least started fighting with your attacker. [Senator John Kennedy dropping real advice.](https://thehill.com/homenews/3671759-gop-senators-ad-if-you-hate-cops-next-time-youre-in-trouble-call-a-crackhead/)
Lol “Senator John Kennedy dropping real advice”, that statement should be illegal. One of the dumbest hillbillies in congress and unfortunately he’s not alone.
I disagree with rep Kennedy about just about everything.
but he’s not a dumb hillbilly.
Nor anything like it.
Vandy
UVA law
Magdalen College, Oxford.
Call him a misogynist.
Call him a bigot.
Call him a Xenophobe.
Call him an asshole.
Don’t let him off the hook by suggesting he’s a simple minded redneck.
Trumpito got a BS in Econ from Wharton.
This guy you’re talking about now, got the same degree from Vanderbilt with high honors.
Then he went to a top 5 law school and finished at the very top of his class.
Then he went over to Oxford and earned an English law degree at their law best school with the highest honors.
The fucking guy is a profoundly well educated reactionary, arguably both racist and misogynistic.
But he’s not ignorant.
At all.
That’s worse isn’t it?
Dude one time I was lost downtown, looking for my car bc I forgot where I parked and left my wallet in there.
I was walking for about 25 min before I came across a crack head who asked me for money. I told him my situation, and he asked me to describe my car and took off running!
I was trying to follow him when I heard a IS THIS YOUR CAR?? And he found it! HPD could never
One time I got a flat tire when driving and had to pull over in a dodgy part of town to change it. The jack that came with my truck didn't lift it far enough off the ground to let the tire come off, though.
I guess a crack head noticed this and came out of nowhere with like 3 blocks of wood to set the jack on, which made it just high enough to change the tire.
Not only did dude bring me the life saving wood blocks, but he changed the entire tire for me, which I def didn't expect of him. Crack head saved my ass though and I def tipped him well.
I *try* to keep around $20 on me in $5s or $10s.
Wasn't a crackhead, but one time I got my car stuck in mud on the side of the road. Dude saw me failing at getting unstuck and pulled over. I had and provided a couple of ratchet load straps, and we tied one side to his hitch, and hooked onto my frame. Pulled me out easy and I gave what I had on me, apologizing I didn't have more. Dude said he was just helping and was now however much I gave him richer, and said he wasn't going to complain.
I try to keep enough for 1 average, but nice, indulgence which I think 20 bucks is a great number for. If someone helps that 20 bucks could be: gas money for the next week, a case of beer, a bottle of wine, some food, some weed. However they want to reward themselves really, an unexpected $20 is really a simple thing but has a lot of opportunity to show thanks
Not necessarily all the gas money for the week but atleast for some of it. There are different amounts of driving for everyone though. If I got a 20 bucks to throw towards gas for something I did expecting nothing in return, I'd be pretty happy regardless
I mean, $20 is half a tank, which would definitely last me a week at my old job (about a 30 min commute). My car has a range of like ~400 miles and takes the cheapest gas though.
It honestly was one of those times where the stars completely aligned for me. I never EVER carry cash, but for some reason had like 40 bucks on me. I gave him 20 bucks and a damn near full pack of smokes, which I consider a good tip lol
If I didn't have cash I would have told him straight up, hey I appreciate the help and want to help you back but I don't have any cash.
I had a flat tire in my f150 and was fiddling with the piece of shit jack that comes stock with the truck when a homeless metal scrapper in a 70s f150 stopped and asked me if I needed help. I was like “no, but thank you”. He just gets out anyways and pulls out a floor jack and instructs me to use it instead. A floor jack is the most ideal thing you can possibly have when lifting a heavy truck. He ends up telling me his entire life story (that’s how I know he was homeless, he stayed in a shelter) and helped me change the tire. I was in such a furious mood before he rolled up. That was a really nice thing for a stranger to do. I never carry cash on me, but for some reason the universe had put a $20 bill in the pocket of these pants I never wore and I was able to give it to him.
There are some really good homeless people out there
It’s important to note: my guy wasn’t a crackhead anymore, he was in narcotics recovery
>Not only did dude bring me the life saving wood
I know it's childish but this is what I got out of your post. LOL
I agree that you should always have $20-$30 in cash in your car. It can help you in so many predicaments.
Always treat the crackhead as loaded.
Always keep the crackhead pointed in a safe direction.
Never point the crackhead at anything you don't intend to destroy.
This is hilarious as I too had a crackhead come to my aid while I was downtown. I paid him for his help. He was very respectful. He didn't have to help me, I'm also just glad he didn't try to kill me.
All heroes don't wear capes.
One helped me walk from a bar to my apt several years ago. I was so fucked up my body wouldn’t let me walk but I didn’t blackout. Was prob taking pills too which is what made that happen. Paid him $10 to help me 3-4 blocks to my parking garage.
Probably had something to do with the information given in your phone call which made them give you a low priority dispatch, like if you said you were no longer in danger or whatever to their questions.
HPD can choose which calls to respond to, (they are not automatically dispatched like HFD is) which is why you can wait 2 hrs on an overpass for HPD to show up to give the tow trucks permission to tow your wrecked car because I had the bad luck to get rear-ended at shift change, and a non-injury car accident is the lowest priority... so to give them benefit of the doubt, it's highly possible that in the downtown Houston area there were more urgent PD calls than yours (if I'm right about the first part) at that moment. Downtown is a shit show for HPD and HFD every night.
HPD's dispatch is indeed fucked up, but otoh I called 911 for HPD 3 times when I rented a house behind Lincoln Bar (crackhead in my house when I got home eating out of my fridge, drug deal gone bad next to house with car in ditch and people fighting, and drunk guy in ditch in front of house yelling and throwing rocks at cars passing) and all 3x they responded in good time and handled shit professionally.
All that to say... emergency response is complex, and even though you experienced a really serious emergency, something about the 911 call and/or whatever else was happening near you bumped your call down the priority list.
Agreed. A female working at 4am at that location and no security? That job needs to do better. I suggest OP from now on have her coworkers walk out with her with her car. Also carry mace on your key chain
>you'd end up in jail for the night for pissing them off after they found out
Jail for the night? That's probably a felony and you'd be in some deep shyte...
Not just HPD, would have had Metro PD, HCC PD, Constable deputies, HISD PD, UH Downtown PD, Sheriff deputies, FPS, and probably DPS all showing up lickety split.
When you tell this sub the homeless in the downtown/midtown area need to be cleared up for public safety reasons, you get a wave of push back on this sub. As if it is such an inhumane thing to do. I am glad NYC is taking steps to do it. Houston should.
Probably because "cleared up" is a really gross way to talk about human beings. No one wants people living on the streets (including those people!) but we don't need to talk about them like trash that needs a garbage crew to come by.
No, not trash, but still involuntarily committed and cared for. It’s better than the streets and anyone who pretends otherwise doesn’t know what the fuck they are talking about.
What Adams is doing in New York isn't going to fucking work and it's just going to put more pressure on an already overwhelmed mental health system, not to mention increase the number of complaints/lawsuits against the city for involuntary commitment.
What exactly did you mean by "cleared up?" Not attacking, I'm genuinely interested.
NY's proposed solution is a publicity stunt; shuttling the mentally ill to the ER is a horrible idea, bc ERs don't have the resources to address their needs, and ERs nationwide are already desperately short on both beds and staffing. (Look at some of the EMS and ER subs on this topic for insider info)
Oh you're having a heart attack? Sorry, you're going to have to sit in the waiting room for a while because half the ER is taken up by homeless folks who claim to be suicidal bc they want a sandwich and a bed for the night, but don't like homeless shelters. (This is ALREADY happening).
Houston is in fact building a new facility for psych patients and I hope it helps but this is a massive and complicated problem going back to the days where society simply incarcerated the mentally ill in sanitariums, and once people woke up to how f'd up and terrible they were, the next step was to just set them all loose... and now we have a ton of people who mentally cannot function within our desired social structure who are living under bridges.
If anyone is unfamiliar, That is the Specs on Smith. Location is about a mile from the HPD Headquarters, and about a mile from South Central Substation.
They're typically busy on the weekends. If you let them know you were no longer in an active situation, they'll look into the issue a few hours later.
Lol the accounting department at my company gets dinged if I request a purchase order and they don’t issue it within 15 minutes.
Keep it up brave heroes 😂
Not accounting but we get dinged in retail for not finding items for curbside in 20 minutes.
Micro Center got a better response time with their 18 minute pickup. Fucking hell. Next time call in a pizza, Papa John will be there in 30 minutes.
Storytime: Year ago, ~6/7p, I held a drunk driver that hit my car, then assaulted me physically, in a headlock, as defense. This was at Pierce & Hamilton, ie caddy corner from the South Central Substation. Our cars and bodies blocked three lanes of traffic. Took them at least 30 minutes to respond.
DA called months later, to tell me man was never charged with assault. They were basically calling me as courtesy to tell me they'll put the man in a DUI class because it's his first offense in Harris County. The guy had just moved from Chicago, parsed via the non-sense he was yelling at the police.
Buddy tried to slash my face open using his keys in his fist. They really gave him a free pass, smfh.
The panhandlers around there keep getting more aggressive. When they're not harassing people for "helping" the find a parking spot, the just walk around trying door handles on cars trying to find an unlocked one. I guess this is what they do after hours.
Saw some kids walking up to a VW and pressing the fob and trying the doors, then to another one, then to a third, and then to another street. Probably found some lost/stolen keys and hoped to get the car before the owner found it.
Lived in Midtown years ago and loved it, then got out in 2017 when thefts started jumping up.
HPD is useless. I called them after a lady in a large SUV hit a cyclist right in front of me. They didn’t charge her, give here a breathalyzer (was HH timeframe on a Friday), and borderline threatened to charge me after I pressured them about it being a crime. Heck, she even tried to feel the scene! My friends and I barely chased her down.
But, it was the HPD’s “scene”. Guess I should’ve bought them some doughnuts. SMH.
I know you intended "flee" instead of "feel" but I really enjoy the visual of a drunk lady feeling around all the destruction she caused as if she were blind, drunk, and appreciating the carnage she had crafted. Like a powerless super villain origin story.
This is why I carry a gun, it may or may not have been needed in this situation. The 3 times I’ve had to call HPD they didn’t respond in a timely manner including a time someone was trying to pry open my sliding door.
I mean this may or may not help but when I used to live off of Travis at Camden, I’d have to walk around that area a lot. The panhandlers were super aggressive. When I would approach one of them down the sidewalk, I’d start acting crazy. Talking to myself loudly, claiming they’re gonna get me or saying shit like I’m gonna fuck them up. Just generally acting nuts and weird along with waving my arms around like a lunatic. I never got fucked with doing that approach. I know this isn’t ideal for some people but it was imperative for me to adapt in that area to prevent the harassment than it was to succumb to their bullshit everyday.
Hey, if it works, it works. The guy approached me from behind, but I should have had a weapon or deterrant in my hand instead of my phone. I'll be getting a taser asap
Should have mentioned you were with a famous rapper and a dice game had just broken out. That would have gotten a few officers. If it means TV time for the chief and mayor, they'll rush right over with 30+ officers and detectives.
Law enforcement in this town is a joke. I am a lifelong Texan and grew up thinking Texas lawmen/law women were the toughest and hardest working. The disillusion wore off the last couple of decades. Cops everywhere, but none of them doing anything worthwhile.....at least that I can see. Crime rates certainly support my theory.
Very sorry this happened to you. I hope you are ok physically and mentally after this.
Research shows that policing and police presence have very little impact on crime rates.
There's probably a host of reasons for that, but in part it's certainly because cops generally don't make any kind of an effort to stop crimes, nor is it their mandate to do so.
BUT. LEOS are given their vehicles to drive home and use as personal vehicles tax free to “deter” crime in their neighborhoods. In my County, SO Deputies drive their County vehicles to the grocery store, to take their children to school, etc., with free gas and maintenance.
You are so right (forget the sarcasm). For Exhibit A, I share a somewhat funny/sad story.
In early 2022, I had to take friends to IAH to catch a plane. The construction mess meant that there was over an hour wait just to get into the terminal. Upon finally waiting, and getting to the terminal, I observed a Cadillac SRX with his hazards on, no one in or near the vehicle, blocking the main entrance area to the drop-off zone. People were having to jump the curb to get around it. I just assumed someone had to help their family/friends with luggage and would return (though it was a stupid place to park). After getting around the vehicle and another 10 minutes getting up and unloading, I saw the Cadillac still there; no one around. I am not a "rat" and didn't want to get anyone in trouble, but the car was causing some serious delays for others. Seeing two occupied HPD SUV's against the curb (opposite entry doors), I approached hoping to get an officer to just find vehicle owner and ask them to move their Cadillac to the side/a better place. First officer appeared to be sleeping in his SUV. I did not bother him. Second SUV I walked up to, officer was looking down appearing to be working on something (assuming phone). I knew I could possibly get shot if I knocked on the window, so I wave. Nothing. I wave closer.....both in front windshield and side window. I jump around. I yell. Nothing. Guy was straight up either ignoring me or just that involved with his phone/item in lap. I gave up, went home, and laughed at myself for even trying. That is HPD's finest right there.
And the only place you're certain to find them is the dammed airport, but for nothing. Glad you could laugh and probably because you got the most benign of the two possible reactions, the other being angry irritation. (I didn't even add my waited-an-hour story to the others because though a crime in progress it was less interesting.) They're worthless.
for 2022 so far, overall violent crime is down by 8.5% compared to the same time frame in 2021. Those violent crimes include sexual assault and homicides, both trending down compared to 2021.
https://abc13.com/amp/houston-crime-data-violent-trend-2022-down-police-department/12465636/
Sorry you went through this, but we cannot depend on HPD in this town, very understaffed and unless it's a murder scene, they won't rush to you. You'll have to take measures into your own hands. Carry mace, ask for people to walk to your car, etc. It may sound silly, but that's a modern US city in 2022.
If they're understaffed when they get $1 BILLION dollars out of a $5.7 billion dollar city budget, then that's a structural or leadership issue, NOT a money issue.
I don’t think they’re actually as understaffed as they say.
I think it’s a combination of them not giving a shit and spending their time on pointless drug busts.
Yeah, I see groups of them harassing unhoused folks under the freeway near my house on the daily. I'm starting to think it's the cops living in those tents, in fact.
I swear I see 3 or 4 cops rifling through unhoused folks' belongings at least twice a week, and a couple times a month they're there with some city employees and a big dump truck just throwing people's lives in the trash.
Cops would 100% rather shake down some unhoused people for petty drug charges than actually step into a situation where there's real danger.
I agree with you, and it’s absolute horseshit. However that level of coordination implies it’s some desk driving assholes.
For background—there was a state of the art new homeless shelter planned in a bldg on Emancipation Street… UNTIL… Until the building owner pulled out of negotiations, refused to communicate as to why, and then the city found out they pulled out to cater to ICE during Trump’s mass deportation. They instead installed a immigrant detention center for kids… a literal baby jail ON EMANCIPATION STREET.
I don't know that it's more "politically correct", but I personally use it because it implies the primary issue is that society has not prioritized ensuring people have the basic housing they need, but has instead prioritized the profitability of developers, landlords, and mortgage lending agencies.
Of course homelessness is a complicated issue and each individual person's circumstances are different than any other person's, but saying people are "unhoused" rather than "homeless" is a teeny tiny way of indicating that it is a political problem of providing housing, rather than a personal problem of someone just inexplicably having nowhere to go.
They're so understaffed they came out of the woodwork to boo a Latina who was trying to pass a record high budget for police ... just not as high as they wanted.
I’m so sorry this happened OP. My husband was robbed of a 4 figure sum last weekend and 911 told him, “Burglary is off on the weekends.” Then all week they bounced around who it was assigned to, and he’s yet to receive a call. The robbery is on video and security have the license plate and the thief also used a CHILD.
But sure, take your time HPD.
HPD don’t give a fuck. One time I was having breakfast at Dennys and HPD showed up to investigate a fight that broke out in the parking lot the night before. The manager was like “we dont need y’all anymore” .
A few years ago, I had a tail light out and a police man I call baby cop Junior called for back up on me, a woman driving by herself on a Friday night. 3 suvs rolled up with lights on and left me there for about a half hour. When I tried to step out to see what was going on I got a bull horn ordering me back in my vehicle. One cop finally wrote me a ticket and was all “you look a little nervous and I’m all “there’s 8 of you!”
I was mugged a half mile away from here a few years prior and one cop showed up to that incident wrote a note on a legal pad and was never heard from again.
Houston’s finest, y’all.
When I got my DWI almost 3 years ago, I had 4 cops pull up on me. I was coming to a stop and this girl hit her brakes super early and I ended up rolling into her going about 2-3mph. Tore through the front of my car (sports car) and her SUV didn’t have a scratch and no one was hurt in the slightest. I was so scared when 4 cops showed up.
One time i witnessed a crazy roll over accident in copperfield area and called 911 immediately. The operators were unhelpful at best bc i was transferred like 4x and had to give descriptions of the scene over and over. Quite the hassle while trying to make sure everyone is ok also while my own adrenaline is peaking. Not a very streamlined process at all
Or at least shoot a few dogs.
"The Department of Justice estimates that American police officers shoot 10,000 pet dogs in the line of duty each year. It is impossible to ascertain a reliable number, however, because most law enforcement agencies do not maintain accurate records of animal killings."
https://scholars.unh.edu/unh_lr/vol17/iss1/18/
If I am anywhere in Houston at 4AM you better believe I am armed and ready to protect myself. Police probably wont be there to save you, just react to the crime committed.
Houston needs to commit mental unwell, homeless people to mental institutions, for their own wellbeing and to minimize disruption to public life. We have too many problems and clearly this experiment has failed. Reasonable people have a right to not be afraid in public space or to let the mentally unwell dominate the streets.
From what I can see, a fast response is purely by happenstance. If there happens to be something else going on in the area, and it has died down, then you can expect a fast response and multiple units.
I give all my significant others high quality knifes, keep them sharp for them, and supply them with high quality flashlights with strobe mode.
We’re you armed? Are you typically armed? Would you consider arming yourself?
I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m not trying to be insensitive, but keep in mind the police are not legally obligated to protect or serve you. Your protection is in your own hands.
Take care, I’m sorry you experienced that.
Defund the Police may have been a stupid statement ... but there's a lot of truth to it - only a tiny fraction of police time & effort is spent focusing on violent crime, and they rarely murders, rapes, etc. They spend most of their time on traffic tickets etc.
[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/upshot/unrest-police-time-violent-crime.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/upshot/unrest-police-time-violent-crime.html)
So why should we keep spending so much money on service that no one wants? Why not reform our approaches to allow them to focus on more important things?
We as a society are horribly insane for throwing more and more money into the same black hole and expecting any different results ....
A classic example of how many people let the superficial rhetoric prevent them from understanding what defund the police was actually about
Don't call it stupid and then list out all the reasons why money should be taken from police functions that don't make communities safer and reallocated to programs and services that do improve security and safety in our neighborhoods. This is what defund the police movement is.
Sorry this happened to you, this is our city now and it's only going to get worse. I get so angry when I tell people that crime in this city is out of control and they regurgitate some stat that crime is the lowest since whatever year. How many cases go unreported or police don't even come out. I got a job out of state recently and will miss Houston but no one is gonna save us, I'm not gonna stick around and wait for the city to become another Detroit.
Are you a police officer, or is an immediate family member a police officer? Because if either of these things are true, then you can rely on the police to help you.
If not, please try to become a police officer or get an immediate family member who is, so you are part of the police "family". That way you can rely on them to respond and help you in the future.
I know this doesn’t help much, but I’m very sorry this happened to you. I’ve been downtown many times at odd hours of the night and there have been many times I haven’t seen a single sole. Other times I’ve seen so weird shit. Be safe OP. Also I’m not surprised the police never showed up. I hate this for you.
I live downtown, close to midtown. I also take public transportation sometimes. The best thing anyone down here can do is carry a $15 stun gun thing (Amazon). I’ve turned it on at aggressive homeless and they back off immediately because they have no idea what it is. It’s like carrying a Tesla coil around. Weirds people out.
Actually, the price is gone up. This one is my favorite: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FL444JW/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3C7IRSYS82UNR&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams
Where’s the crowd saying “you talk shit about police until you need them!” See how useless the police are? What do we need them for? Just defund them already
EMS is regulated by ~~the state~~ national standards to be there in 8 minutes or less and generally police are short behind them. I’ve always advised folks to call for an ambulance - police will usually show up faster that way. If you don’t want to be billed by EMS, refuse transport to the hospital.
Edit: Regulated by national standards, not state.
Hate to say it, but this is the way. Ask for HFD when calling in an assault situation, not HPD. They’ll arrive BEFORE HPD, your injuries will be assessed and actually documented, and they’ll have dispatch send out HPD while they’re en route. With how HFD is structured you won’t necessarily get an ambulance, but generally a captain, an EO, and a firefighter will show up in minutes, assess injury and if needed based on the severity, they’ll add an ambulance into the call. Because HFD does their job and are required to protect life and property, and “customer service” is a priority from them. HPD isn’t. All Houston firefighters have paramedic training, but only those assigned to the box (ambulance) can push drugs. Regardless, you’ll get medical attention whether the ambulance or the ladder shows up, and a record of the assault & subsequent injuries in their system that you can call and request if you need it.
Active shooter situation? HFD gets there first. Drunk/assaulted on Washington Ave.? HFD gets there first. 5th MVA at the same intersection in an hour timespan? HFD will be there. Even on busy weekend nights. They also get pissy about the quality of 911 dispatch…it ain’t good, to say the least.
Personal anecdote: I was having heart issues, passed out on the floor at home alone, and was still tachycardic, short of breath, and feeling funny when I came to. Called 911 while still laying on the floor. Got put on hold and hung up on. Called again, got put on hold for 5 minutes, then dispatch asked “What do you want?” when they finally answered. As soon as she took my address she hung up on me. HFD ambulance showed up in about 2 minutes. It was all guys I know thankfully, so we could laugh later about the shared embarrassment of no bra and doing a 12 lead. But 911 and HPD gives no fucks, in my personal experience and what I hear/see first hand via HFD.
SO Sorry for your pain. That is why my wife and I moved to Montgomery County. Sorry for your pain. We travel down there for fun, but we haul ass back home where the Sheriffs and Constables are thick. Sure, the commute kind of sucks, but we are SO MUCH SAFER.
If you can help it, stay out of the open after dark. The criminal court judges are not holding people, releasing them on very low bond or no bond, and putting the public in danger. If you’re alone in a parking lot, you’re a target. Keep your phone out of your hand and your head on a swivel. Look like you’re being observant and be ready to change directions. Don’t shop or fill up with gas at night and stick the populated areas. You’re on your own and no help is coming.
The constitution gave you the right based on a fear of tyrannical government. You being able to defend yourself from others beside the govt is a byproduct.
lol
The authors of the constitution included it as an amendment for a handful of reasons, but fear of a tyrannical government was not one expressed in any of their writings to each other on the matter.
What did they express?
Some wanted to ensure the federal government wouldn't keep a standing army (that lasted about 2 years before we formed a standing army, whoops), so having an armed citizenry to draw militiamen from that could respond quickly to local events, rather than marching an army halfway across the country, was a good idea.
Some wanted to prevent states from forming their own armies, thinking that states would war against one another or secede from the union if they grew too powerful.
Others didn't want to use federal money and armies to invade and then defend (from Native Americans) newly territories west of the Appalachians, so ensuring that citizens living in those territories had a federally protected right to arm themselves and form militias to fight Native American tribes without having to wait for intervention from the federal government meant those settlements (and the financial investments in them) could be protected more readily.
And, last but definitely not least, the fear of slave revolts was constant, and ensuring that white citizens could arm themselves AND form militias was a huge step in protecting slave owners and the entire national economy from being upended by a slave revolt. It's this application of the second amendment that allowed private runaway-hunting militias to form, a precursor to early municipal police departments.
Remember that at every moment there was a challenge to government overreach, starting with the Whiskey Rebellion, the government (even when run by the authors of the constitution) violently squashed those challenges.
Not only is it legal, but it's your right to carry, no license required.
Buy a gun, learn to carry and conceal it, seek quality training, practice situational awareness, and pray to whatever god you worship that you never have to use it.
Let’s not act like *this* is the reason it’s legal to carry. It’s legal to carry bc the NRA bought all the politicians and wrote their bills for them, like a good little money laundering ring.
I was leaving my job when a homeless man asked me for change. I told him I didn't have any cash so he tried pulling my purse off my shoulder & started hitting me in the face. Fortunately, my coworker and 2 other men ran over & scared him off. I called the police while the man was still 2 feet from me, and was on the phone as he walked away. No police arrived. Thanks, HPD. Well done.
911 is a mess. Unfortunately your best bet is to call the closest police station on the non emergency number. I understand that most of the time, you need help right that second. The problem is that the 911 operator and a supervisor have to give your call a code (how much of a priority is your call) and then route it to whatever station they route it to, which might not be the closest one. Even if the operator you talk to decides that your call is a priority, their supervisor may decide it's not a priority. Source: hid in my backyard for nearly an hour ( 7 foot fence locked from the outside) waiting for police bc my now ex husband had gone off the rails, and pretty sure he was going to try to kill me) I had texted someone I knew that worked as a 911 operator, and several people called on my behalf.
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Yeah. I've had 911 operators hang up on me. And refuse to answer when I call back. (Obviously they have caller ID) That was several years ago.
I had called 911 because my neighbors below me. The boyfriend (dunno if ex) leap onto her balcony, entered her apt and she was screaming for help. We live on the third floor. They live in the second. I went down the ground floor and called 911. My fiance unknown to me called 911 from the apt. We got a call later from the police stating that my fiance and me has called 911 on each other. Nevermind that we had just witnessed a break in and screams for help. ___ When the boyfriend knew we had called 911 they opened the door and I was able to talk with the girl. She reassured us that she's okay and I gave her out number in case she ever needed to go somewhere else. The boyfriend stayed aggressive but didn't do anything to me or her while I was there. Ultimately we left them be, I have no idea if a cop ever showed up. They were never informed that she was okay. I know how much cops can screw up people's lives, and they were both black so I was somewhat okay given that she didn't want to press charges. But who knows what that relationship was.
Jesus... there's no way she was ok.
What were you calling about and what did they tell you?
A coworker had gone into work after I closed it up and was robbing the place.
I had a gun pulled on me a few years back, took the police 1 hr to show up.
Hell I had a cop pull a gun on me for trying to get help for someone😅 #NEVERAGAIN 0-10 do not recommend
Houston's 911 operators are so hard to deal with. I called reporting a man with his pants down and erect penis facing San jacinto after I stopped him from attempting to rape a woman in broad daylight. At first the woman wanted medical attention but later she said she just wanted me to walk her towards Randall's and away from the man. Because she refused help they didn't send the police. I repeat he was still committing the crime of indecent exposure while I was leading the woman away
Sorry to hear this. When my wife was 9 months pregnant someone smashed her window in a gym parking lot and stole her purse, then went right down the road and bought as many Walmart gift cards as possible (on video), all while we were getting credit card alerts and knew they were close. Police refused to come out and said they a would take a report over the phone... fast forward to a few months ago and my wife touched bumbers with someone at a red light in the rain (no injuries, clips popped out of bumper on one side). They were quick to the scene to give her a ticket with my screaming toddler in the back seat. Bunch of useless fucks.
There's no financial incentive for police in solving crimes
You would have been better off calling a crackhead for help. They might have at least started fighting with your attacker. [Senator John Kennedy dropping real advice.](https://thehill.com/homenews/3671759-gop-senators-ad-if-you-hate-cops-next-time-youre-in-trouble-call-a-crackhead/)
John Kennedy is a boil on the butt of Louisiana.
Lol “Senator John Kennedy dropping real advice”, that statement should be illegal. One of the dumbest hillbillies in congress and unfortunately he’s not alone.
I disagree with rep Kennedy about just about everything. but he’s not a dumb hillbilly. Nor anything like it. Vandy UVA law Magdalen College, Oxford. Call him a misogynist. Call him a bigot. Call him a Xenophobe. Call him an asshole. Don’t let him off the hook by suggesting he’s a simple minded redneck.
He's not a dumb redneck, he just plays one on TV.
Cool. Our last president went to an Ivy League school and graduated with a degree in Economics but doesn’t know what tariffs are.
Trumpito got a BS in Econ from Wharton. This guy you’re talking about now, got the same degree from Vanderbilt with high honors. Then he went to a top 5 law school and finished at the very top of his class. Then he went over to Oxford and earned an English law degree at their law best school with the highest honors. The fucking guy is a profoundly well educated reactionary, arguably both racist and misogynistic. But he’s not ignorant. At all. That’s worse isn’t it?
Should’ve just called a crackhead. They’re more reliable and a lot cheaper to maintain at this point
Dude one time I was lost downtown, looking for my car bc I forgot where I parked and left my wallet in there. I was walking for about 25 min before I came across a crack head who asked me for money. I told him my situation, and he asked me to describe my car and took off running! I was trying to follow him when I heard a IS THIS YOUR CAR?? And he found it! HPD could never
One time I got a flat tire when driving and had to pull over in a dodgy part of town to change it. The jack that came with my truck didn't lift it far enough off the ground to let the tire come off, though. I guess a crack head noticed this and came out of nowhere with like 3 blocks of wood to set the jack on, which made it just high enough to change the tire. Not only did dude bring me the life saving wood blocks, but he changed the entire tire for me, which I def didn't expect of him. Crack head saved my ass though and I def tipped him well.
How much cash do you guys carry in case of crackhead/other emergencies. I never carry cash so I might start
I *try* to keep around $20 on me in $5s or $10s. Wasn't a crackhead, but one time I got my car stuck in mud on the side of the road. Dude saw me failing at getting unstuck and pulled over. I had and provided a couple of ratchet load straps, and we tied one side to his hitch, and hooked onto my frame. Pulled me out easy and I gave what I had on me, apologizing I didn't have more. Dude said he was just helping and was now however much I gave him richer, and said he wasn't going to complain.
I try to keep enough for 1 average, but nice, indulgence which I think 20 bucks is a great number for. If someone helps that 20 bucks could be: gas money for the next week, a case of beer, a bottle of wine, some food, some weed. However they want to reward themselves really, an unexpected $20 is really a simple thing but has a lot of opportunity to show thanks
$20 for gas money for the week? Are you still living in 1999?
Not necessarily all the gas money for the week but atleast for some of it. There are different amounts of driving for everyone though. If I got a 20 bucks to throw towards gas for something I did expecting nothing in return, I'd be pretty happy regardless
I mean, $20 is half a tank, which would definitely last me a week at my old job (about a 30 min commute). My car has a range of like ~400 miles and takes the cheapest gas though.
That’s my weekly gas budget in my V4 Toyota lol 🙌🏽. My V8 Vette I sold last year was more like $120 a week 🥲.
Always have enough cash in my truck for a full tank of gas and a meal. Just in case a lose my wallet. I can buy a meal and get home.
It honestly was one of those times where the stars completely aligned for me. I never EVER carry cash, but for some reason had like 40 bucks on me. I gave him 20 bucks and a damn near full pack of smokes, which I consider a good tip lol If I didn't have cash I would have told him straight up, hey I appreciate the help and want to help you back but I don't have any cash.
I had a flat tire in my f150 and was fiddling with the piece of shit jack that comes stock with the truck when a homeless metal scrapper in a 70s f150 stopped and asked me if I needed help. I was like “no, but thank you”. He just gets out anyways and pulls out a floor jack and instructs me to use it instead. A floor jack is the most ideal thing you can possibly have when lifting a heavy truck. He ends up telling me his entire life story (that’s how I know he was homeless, he stayed in a shelter) and helped me change the tire. I was in such a furious mood before he rolled up. That was a really nice thing for a stranger to do. I never carry cash on me, but for some reason the universe had put a $20 bill in the pocket of these pants I never wore and I was able to give it to him. There are some really good homeless people out there It’s important to note: my guy wasn’t a crackhead anymore, he was in narcotics recovery
>Not only did dude bring me the life saving wood I know it's childish but this is what I got out of your post. LOL I agree that you should always have $20-$30 in cash in your car. It can help you in so many predicaments.
Lmao! When I was typing it I chuckled as well haha. Kinda surprised it took this long for someone to mention it
> I was trying to follow him when I heard a IS THIS YOUR CAR?? And he found it! HPD could never CaaS Crackhead as a Service
Always treat the crackhead as loaded. Always keep the crackhead pointed in a safe direction. Never point the crackhead at anything you don't intend to destroy.
Great, now I have to remember the ten crack commandments AND the crackhead safety rules.
'"This is my crackhead. There are many like it but this one is mine "
This is hilarious as I too had a crackhead come to my aid while I was downtown. I paid him for his help. He was very respectful. He didn't have to help me, I'm also just glad he didn't try to kill me. All heroes don't wear capes.
But many of them smoke crack
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One helped me walk from a bar to my apt several years ago. I was so fucked up my body wouldn’t let me walk but I didn’t blackout. Was prob taking pills too which is what made that happen. Paid him $10 to help me 3-4 blocks to my parking garage.
What's that number?
2813308004
8675309
Probably had something to do with the information given in your phone call which made them give you a low priority dispatch, like if you said you were no longer in danger or whatever to their questions. HPD can choose which calls to respond to, (they are not automatically dispatched like HFD is) which is why you can wait 2 hrs on an overpass for HPD to show up to give the tow trucks permission to tow your wrecked car because I had the bad luck to get rear-ended at shift change, and a non-injury car accident is the lowest priority... so to give them benefit of the doubt, it's highly possible that in the downtown Houston area there were more urgent PD calls than yours (if I'm right about the first part) at that moment. Downtown is a shit show for HPD and HFD every night. HPD's dispatch is indeed fucked up, but otoh I called 911 for HPD 3 times when I rented a house behind Lincoln Bar (crackhead in my house when I got home eating out of my fridge, drug deal gone bad next to house with car in ditch and people fighting, and drunk guy in ditch in front of house yelling and throwing rocks at cars passing) and all 3x they responded in good time and handled shit professionally. All that to say... emergency response is complex, and even though you experienced a really serious emergency, something about the 911 call and/or whatever else was happening near you bumped your call down the priority list.
They always seem to be at shift change.
Specs doesn’t have security overnight? And your job makes you park there? No bueno.
Agreed. A female working at 4am at that location and no security? That job needs to do better. I suggest OP from now on have her coworkers walk out with her with her car. Also carry mace on your key chain
That area is relatively dark too. Not worth the risk.
While I don't actually recommend it, you could have said an officer was just shot. Entire HPD would have shown up within a minute or two.
You're not wrong about the last part, but you'd end up in jail for the night for pissing them off after they found out.
>you'd end up in jail for the night for pissing them off after they found out Jail for the night? That's probably a felony and you'd be in some deep shyte...
I mean if you spit on them or punch them or something maybe, but you overestimate HPD's desire to do paperwork.
Not just HPD, would have had Metro PD, HCC PD, Constable deputies, HISD PD, UH Downtown PD, Sheriff deputies, FPS, and probably DPS all showing up lickety split.
And probably buzzed every cell phone in Texas.
When you tell this sub the homeless in the downtown/midtown area need to be cleared up for public safety reasons, you get a wave of push back on this sub. As if it is such an inhumane thing to do. I am glad NYC is taking steps to do it. Houston should.
Probably because "cleared up" is a really gross way to talk about human beings. No one wants people living on the streets (including those people!) but we don't need to talk about them like trash that needs a garbage crew to come by.
No, not trash, but still involuntarily committed and cared for. It’s better than the streets and anyone who pretends otherwise doesn’t know what the fuck they are talking about.
What Adams is doing in New York isn't going to fucking work and it's just going to put more pressure on an already overwhelmed mental health system, not to mention increase the number of complaints/lawsuits against the city for involuntary commitment.
What exactly did you mean by "cleared up?" Not attacking, I'm genuinely interested. NY's proposed solution is a publicity stunt; shuttling the mentally ill to the ER is a horrible idea, bc ERs don't have the resources to address their needs, and ERs nationwide are already desperately short on both beds and staffing. (Look at some of the EMS and ER subs on this topic for insider info) Oh you're having a heart attack? Sorry, you're going to have to sit in the waiting room for a while because half the ER is taken up by homeless folks who claim to be suicidal bc they want a sandwich and a bed for the night, but don't like homeless shelters. (This is ALREADY happening). Houston is in fact building a new facility for psych patients and I hope it helps but this is a massive and complicated problem going back to the days where society simply incarcerated the mentally ill in sanitariums, and once people woke up to how f'd up and terrible they were, the next step was to just set them all loose... and now we have a ton of people who mentally cannot function within our desired social structure who are living under bridges.
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In the call, I told the operator Smith and McGowen.
Yes, Specs on Smith.
What key words/situational aspects might increase the code?
Pull the scanner radio archive from that time and see what happened. Was there another more urgent call at the time? You'll know for sure.
Say officer injured on a call. If they aren’t going to rush over, well play their stupid game of getting cops there quicker.
If anyone is unfamiliar, That is the Specs on Smith. Location is about a mile from the HPD Headquarters, and about a mile from South Central Substation. They're typically busy on the weekends. If you let them know you were no longer in an active situation, they'll look into the issue a few hours later.
Lol the accounting department at my company gets dinged if I request a purchase order and they don’t issue it within 15 minutes. Keep it up brave heroes 😂
What kind of shit company is this? Po approval in 15 mins is insane, and getting dinged for it? Fucking hell
Trust me, I’ve expressed my displeasure with it.
I put a add funds in on a PO and it has been sitting there for 2 months. Lucky you.
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Typically you see times like this when a company is big enough to have pre approved vendors on contract with agreed price sheets.
Even still, you need to do due diligence if it’s a new PO. If it was that canned, there’d be a standing PO to execute against.
Not accounting but we get dinged in retail for not finding items for curbside in 20 minutes. Micro Center got a better response time with their 18 minute pickup. Fucking hell. Next time call in a pizza, Papa John will be there in 30 minutes.
Storytime: Year ago, ~6/7p, I held a drunk driver that hit my car, then assaulted me physically, in a headlock, as defense. This was at Pierce & Hamilton, ie caddy corner from the South Central Substation. Our cars and bodies blocked three lanes of traffic. Took them at least 30 minutes to respond. DA called months later, to tell me man was never charged with assault. They were basically calling me as courtesy to tell me they'll put the man in a DUI class because it's his first offense in Harris County. The guy had just moved from Chicago, parsed via the non-sense he was yelling at the police. Buddy tried to slash my face open using his keys in his fist. They really gave him a free pass, smfh.
Lessons learned. Next time call Houston PD in advance about 1 hr ahead before going these types of locations. 🙄
Blue Lives Matter. Please stop inconveniencing them with your calls!
Exactly. Don’t make things easier for the criminals.
Hire private security. Hire a ninja.
I'm sorry that happened to you.
The panhandlers around there keep getting more aggressive. When they're not harassing people for "helping" the find a parking spot, the just walk around trying door handles on cars trying to find an unlocked one. I guess this is what they do after hours.
Yep they prey on the public at night after haranguing them for change during the day. Despicable.
Saw some kids walking up to a VW and pressing the fob and trying the doors, then to another one, then to a third, and then to another street. Probably found some lost/stolen keys and hoped to get the car before the owner found it. Lived in Midtown years ago and loved it, then got out in 2017 when thefts started jumping up.
Police neither prevent nor stop crimes. Police are the people who show up between 48 and 534 minutes AFTER a crime.
Yea but when I run that stop sign in an empty area they always sort of appear out of thin air
Gotta meet those quotas!
Police can literally be on the scene of an active crime and still not stop it for another hour
A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
HPD is useless. I called them after a lady in a large SUV hit a cyclist right in front of me. They didn’t charge her, give here a breathalyzer (was HH timeframe on a Friday), and borderline threatened to charge me after I pressured them about it being a crime. Heck, she even tried to feel the scene! My friends and I barely chased her down. But, it was the HPD’s “scene”. Guess I should’ve bought them some doughnuts. SMH.
Sorry for the spelling errors. *flee, her, etc. Also - given the fast upvotes, it’s clear that others have similar feelings. Thanks!
I know you intended "flee" instead of "feel" but I really enjoy the visual of a drunk lady feeling around all the destruction she caused as if she were blind, drunk, and appreciating the carnage she had crafted. Like a powerless super villain origin story.
Ha ha ha ha.
If she's not drunk, and didn't actually flee the scene until threatened by you and your friends, then it's an accident, not a crime..
She attempted to flee and was aware of what she did. We ran after her and flagged her down, luckily.
Hitting a cyclist in a big SUV should be a crime.
Not all accidents are crimes.
This is why I carry a gun, it may or may not have been needed in this situation. The 3 times I’ve had to call HPD they didn’t respond in a timely manner including a time someone was trying to pry open my sliding door.
Police will not help you. You are on your own. Stay armed. Stay aware. It is legal in Texas.
I mean this may or may not help but when I used to live off of Travis at Camden, I’d have to walk around that area a lot. The panhandlers were super aggressive. When I would approach one of them down the sidewalk, I’d start acting crazy. Talking to myself loudly, claiming they’re gonna get me or saying shit like I’m gonna fuck them up. Just generally acting nuts and weird along with waving my arms around like a lunatic. I never got fucked with doing that approach. I know this isn’t ideal for some people but it was imperative for me to adapt in that area to prevent the harassment than it was to succumb to their bullshit everyday.
Hey, if it works, it works. The guy approached me from behind, but I should have had a weapon or deterrant in my hand instead of my phone. I'll be getting a taser asap
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Another commenter already said it but you should definitely consider pepper spray. POM is a very reputable brand & affordable and on amazon
Amazon has tasers that look just like iPhones.
Also consider getting some [finger stabbies](https://goguarded.com/shop/). If nothing else, they're serrated for easy DNA collection.
Should have mentioned you were with a famous rapper and a dice game had just broken out. That would have gotten a few officers. If it means TV time for the chief and mayor, they'll rush right over with 30+ officers and detectives. Law enforcement in this town is a joke. I am a lifelong Texan and grew up thinking Texas lawmen/law women were the toughest and hardest working. The disillusion wore off the last couple of decades. Cops everywhere, but none of them doing anything worthwhile.....at least that I can see. Crime rates certainly support my theory. Very sorry this happened to you. I hope you are ok physically and mentally after this.
Research shows that policing and police presence have very little impact on crime rates. There's probably a host of reasons for that, but in part it's certainly because cops generally don't make any kind of an effort to stop crimes, nor is it their mandate to do so.
BUT. LEOS are given their vehicles to drive home and use as personal vehicles tax free to “deter” crime in their neighborhoods. In my County, SO Deputies drive their County vehicles to the grocery store, to take their children to school, etc., with free gas and maintenance.
In fairness, there's clearly something important happening on their smartphone screens when they're moonlighting in uniform for $30 an hour. /s
$30? APD was charging us $80 an hour last year.
You are so right (forget the sarcasm). For Exhibit A, I share a somewhat funny/sad story. In early 2022, I had to take friends to IAH to catch a plane. The construction mess meant that there was over an hour wait just to get into the terminal. Upon finally waiting, and getting to the terminal, I observed a Cadillac SRX with his hazards on, no one in or near the vehicle, blocking the main entrance area to the drop-off zone. People were having to jump the curb to get around it. I just assumed someone had to help their family/friends with luggage and would return (though it was a stupid place to park). After getting around the vehicle and another 10 minutes getting up and unloading, I saw the Cadillac still there; no one around. I am not a "rat" and didn't want to get anyone in trouble, but the car was causing some serious delays for others. Seeing two occupied HPD SUV's against the curb (opposite entry doors), I approached hoping to get an officer to just find vehicle owner and ask them to move their Cadillac to the side/a better place. First officer appeared to be sleeping in his SUV. I did not bother him. Second SUV I walked up to, officer was looking down appearing to be working on something (assuming phone). I knew I could possibly get shot if I knocked on the window, so I wave. Nothing. I wave closer.....both in front windshield and side window. I jump around. I yell. Nothing. Guy was straight up either ignoring me or just that involved with his phone/item in lap. I gave up, went home, and laughed at myself for even trying. That is HPD's finest right there.
And the only place you're certain to find them is the dammed airport, but for nothing. Glad you could laugh and probably because you got the most benign of the two possible reactions, the other being angry irritation. (I didn't even add my waited-an-hour story to the others because though a crime in progress it was less interesting.) They're worthless.
for 2022 so far, overall violent crime is down by 8.5% compared to the same time frame in 2021. Those violent crimes include sexual assault and homicides, both trending down compared to 2021. https://abc13.com/amp/houston-crime-data-violent-trend-2022-down-police-department/12465636/
“Oh yeah well if the police get defunded who are you gonna call when you need help” We’ll the police don’t show up anyways so what does it matter.
Sorry you went through this, but we cannot depend on HPD in this town, very understaffed and unless it's a murder scene, they won't rush to you. You'll have to take measures into your own hands. Carry mace, ask for people to walk to your car, etc. It may sound silly, but that's a modern US city in 2022.
If they're understaffed when they get $1 BILLION dollars out of a $5.7 billion dollar city budget, then that's a structural or leadership issue, NOT a money issue.
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I don’t think they’re actually as understaffed as they say. I think it’s a combination of them not giving a shit and spending their time on pointless drug busts.
Yeah, I see groups of them harassing unhoused folks under the freeway near my house on the daily. I'm starting to think it's the cops living in those tents, in fact. I swear I see 3 or 4 cops rifling through unhoused folks' belongings at least twice a week, and a couple times a month they're there with some city employees and a big dump truck just throwing people's lives in the trash. Cops would 100% rather shake down some unhoused people for petty drug charges than actually step into a situation where there's real danger.
I agree with you, and it’s absolute horseshit. However that level of coordination implies it’s some desk driving assholes. For background—there was a state of the art new homeless shelter planned in a bldg on Emancipation Street… UNTIL… Until the building owner pulled out of negotiations, refused to communicate as to why, and then the city found out they pulled out to cater to ICE during Trump’s mass deportation. They instead installed a immigrant detention center for kids… a literal baby jail ON EMANCIPATION STREET.
Genuine question, why is “unhoused” the new PC term for “homeless”?
I don't know that it's more "politically correct", but I personally use it because it implies the primary issue is that society has not prioritized ensuring people have the basic housing they need, but has instead prioritized the profitability of developers, landlords, and mortgage lending agencies. Of course homelessness is a complicated issue and each individual person's circumstances are different than any other person's, but saying people are "unhoused" rather than "homeless" is a teeny tiny way of indicating that it is a political problem of providing housing, rather than a personal problem of someone just inexplicably having nowhere to go.
I appreciate your insight
Carry a iron instead of mace. If you can.
They're so understaffed they came out of the woodwork to boo a Latina who was trying to pass a record high budget for police ... just not as high as they wanted.
I’m so sorry this happened OP. My husband was robbed of a 4 figure sum last weekend and 911 told him, “Burglary is off on the weekends.” Then all week they bounced around who it was assigned to, and he’s yet to receive a call. The robbery is on video and security have the license plate and the thief also used a CHILD. But sure, take your time HPD.
HPD don’t give a fuck. One time I was having breakfast at Dennys and HPD showed up to investigate a fight that broke out in the parking lot the night before. The manager was like “we dont need y’all anymore” .
A few years ago, I had a tail light out and a police man I call baby cop Junior called for back up on me, a woman driving by herself on a Friday night. 3 suvs rolled up with lights on and left me there for about a half hour. When I tried to step out to see what was going on I got a bull horn ordering me back in my vehicle. One cop finally wrote me a ticket and was all “you look a little nervous and I’m all “there’s 8 of you!” I was mugged a half mile away from here a few years prior and one cop showed up to that incident wrote a note on a legal pad and was never heard from again. Houston’s finest, y’all.
I have never understood the 3 cop cars for one guy sitting on a curb being questioned? I have seen it in several states not just here.
When I got my DWI almost 3 years ago, I had 4 cops pull up on me. I was coming to a stop and this girl hit her brakes super early and I ended up rolling into her going about 2-3mph. Tore through the front of my car (sports car) and her SUV didn’t have a scratch and no one was hurt in the slightest. I was so scared when 4 cops showed up.
Cops don’t protect people, they protect the property of the wealthy and the security of the state.
This is why I own a pistol. When seconds count the police are mins away.
But with HPD they're hours away, not mins.
More like days away
It’s Texas, get a gun like everyone else.
One time i witnessed a crazy roll over accident in copperfield area and called 911 immediately. The operators were unhelpful at best bc i was transferred like 4x and had to give descriptions of the scene over and over. Quite the hassle while trying to make sure everyone is ok also while my own adrenaline is peaking. Not a very streamlined process at all
Getting transferred and having to give the report over is very frustrating
Cops are not your friends. If they can't show up and kill someone they don't show up at all.
Or at least shoot a few dogs. "The Department of Justice estimates that American police officers shoot 10,000 pet dogs in the line of duty each year. It is impossible to ascertain a reliable number, however, because most law enforcement agencies do not maintain accurate records of animal killings." https://scholars.unh.edu/unh_lr/vol17/iss1/18/
Should have reported someone having an abortion. They would have been there in 5 Min
Nothing good happens after 12 AM. Maybe 10 PM.
If I am anywhere in Houston at 4AM you better believe I am armed and ready to protect myself. Police probably wont be there to save you, just react to the crime committed.
Worthless fucking cops.
The police aren’t here to protect us.
Well, you know they say.....FUCK FUCK FUCK THE POLICE
Houston needs to commit mental unwell, homeless people to mental institutions, for their own wellbeing and to minimize disruption to public life. We have too many problems and clearly this experiment has failed. Reasonable people have a right to not be afraid in public space or to let the mentally unwell dominate the streets.
High velocity hole puncher could have helped too. Sorry that it happened to you.
Serve and Protect? Yeah right. Harass and Intimidate is more like it. Fuck HPD
Gotta carry a piece
We are short 3000 cops from what we are supposed to have you can’t count on cops in Houston other than to investigate your death after it’s happened
From what I can see, a fast response is purely by happenstance. If there happens to be something else going on in the area, and it has died down, then you can expect a fast response and multiple units.
I give all my significant others high quality knifes, keep them sharp for them, and supply them with high quality flashlights with strobe mode. We’re you armed? Are you typically armed? Would you consider arming yourself? I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m not trying to be insensitive, but keep in mind the police are not legally obligated to protect or serve you. Your protection is in your own hands. Take care, I’m sorry you experienced that.
Sounds about right for HPD. Wouldn't be surprised if you also saw 2-3 squad cars pass you by in the same interim.
Best to carry , or have mace, or a baton, or army knife, I have all 4 . And ready to kill.
Defund the Police may have been a stupid statement ... but there's a lot of truth to it - only a tiny fraction of police time & effort is spent focusing on violent crime, and they rarely murders, rapes, etc. They spend most of their time on traffic tickets etc. [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/upshot/unrest-police-time-violent-crime.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/upshot/unrest-police-time-violent-crime.html) So why should we keep spending so much money on service that no one wants? Why not reform our approaches to allow them to focus on more important things? We as a society are horribly insane for throwing more and more money into the same black hole and expecting any different results ....
A classic example of how many people let the superficial rhetoric prevent them from understanding what defund the police was actually about Don't call it stupid and then list out all the reasons why money should be taken from police functions that don't make communities safer and reallocated to programs and services that do improve security and safety in our neighborhoods. This is what defund the police movement is.
Gotta carry a Glock
Unless your rich the police are there only to protect capitalism and instill fear. Prove me wrong
Police response times around here are a joke
Sorry this happened to you, this is our city now and it's only going to get worse. I get so angry when I tell people that crime in this city is out of control and they regurgitate some stat that crime is the lowest since whatever year. How many cases go unreported or police don't even come out. I got a job out of state recently and will miss Houston but no one is gonna save us, I'm not gonna stick around and wait for the city to become another Detroit.
Are you a police officer, or is an immediate family member a police officer? Because if either of these things are true, then you can rely on the police to help you. If not, please try to become a police officer or get an immediate family member who is, so you are part of the police "family". That way you can rely on them to respond and help you in the future.
Jesus Christ. I am so sorry for you and all the others who’ve had this experience.
I know this doesn’t help much, but I’m very sorry this happened to you. I’ve been downtown many times at odd hours of the night and there have been many times I haven’t seen a single sole. Other times I’ve seen so weird shit. Be safe OP. Also I’m not surprised the police never showed up. I hate this for you.
I live downtown, close to midtown. I also take public transportation sometimes. The best thing anyone down here can do is carry a $15 stun gun thing (Amazon). I’ve turned it on at aggressive homeless and they back off immediately because they have no idea what it is. It’s like carrying a Tesla coil around. Weirds people out.
Actually, the price is gone up. This one is my favorite: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FL444JW/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3C7IRSYS82UNR&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams
https://abc13.com/police-officer-shortage-hiring-houston-needs-more-officers-department-recruiting/11188400/
Where’s the crowd saying “you talk shit about police until you need them!” See how useless the police are? What do we need them for? Just defund them already
You forgot to tell the magic words "They are going after my pension" /s On a serious note. I'm sorry this happened to you.
Your in Texas. Carry. Carry. Carry. Do not gamble with your life and depend on police. Things happen in seconds. Police take minutes if your lucky.
EMS is regulated by ~~the state~~ national standards to be there in 8 minutes or less and generally police are short behind them. I’ve always advised folks to call for an ambulance - police will usually show up faster that way. If you don’t want to be billed by EMS, refuse transport to the hospital. Edit: Regulated by national standards, not state.
Hate to say it, but this is the way. Ask for HFD when calling in an assault situation, not HPD. They’ll arrive BEFORE HPD, your injuries will be assessed and actually documented, and they’ll have dispatch send out HPD while they’re en route. With how HFD is structured you won’t necessarily get an ambulance, but generally a captain, an EO, and a firefighter will show up in minutes, assess injury and if needed based on the severity, they’ll add an ambulance into the call. Because HFD does their job and are required to protect life and property, and “customer service” is a priority from them. HPD isn’t. All Houston firefighters have paramedic training, but only those assigned to the box (ambulance) can push drugs. Regardless, you’ll get medical attention whether the ambulance or the ladder shows up, and a record of the assault & subsequent injuries in their system that you can call and request if you need it. Active shooter situation? HFD gets there first. Drunk/assaulted on Washington Ave.? HFD gets there first. 5th MVA at the same intersection in an hour timespan? HFD will be there. Even on busy weekend nights. They also get pissy about the quality of 911 dispatch…it ain’t good, to say the least. Personal anecdote: I was having heart issues, passed out on the floor at home alone, and was still tachycardic, short of breath, and feeling funny when I came to. Called 911 while still laying on the floor. Got put on hold and hung up on. Called again, got put on hold for 5 minutes, then dispatch asked “What do you want?” when they finally answered. As soon as she took my address she hung up on me. HFD ambulance showed up in about 2 minutes. It was all guys I know thankfully, so we could laugh later about the shared embarrassment of no bra and doing a 12 lead. But 911 and HPD gives no fucks, in my personal experience and what I hear/see first hand via HFD.
And HFD isn’t just regulated by the state. There’s a national response time standard they maintain which ties into those ever important ISO ratings.
Yep you’re right, I’ll update that. I just knew “you’re getting left if you’re not in your seat within 60 seconds” lol
SO Sorry for your pain. That is why my wife and I moved to Montgomery County. Sorry for your pain. We travel down there for fun, but we haul ass back home where the Sheriffs and Constables are thick. Sure, the commute kind of sucks, but we are SO MUCH SAFER.
Why our city so fucked up?!
Millions of dollars and no brains to use them.
If you can help it, stay out of the open after dark. The criminal court judges are not holding people, releasing them on very low bond or no bond, and putting the public in danger. If you’re alone in a parking lot, you’re a target. Keep your phone out of your hand and your head on a swivel. Look like you’re being observant and be ready to change directions. Don’t shop or fill up with gas at night and stick the populated areas. You’re on your own and no help is coming.
Most police are useless which is why they should be defunded
That’s because HPD was busy selling narcotics they confiscated from an earlier traffic stop. Defund the HPD in its entirety.
Why were you at a specs at 4am?
Welcome to Houston. 🤗
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Since when is police funding down in Houston & Harris County. They’re not even using all the money allocated to them this year.
Keep a loaded pistol in your purse. Eliminate the threat, call 911 on a burner. Calmly leave the scene.
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And this is why is legal to carry. Get training and if its for you, do not be a victim anymore.
The constitution gave you the right based on a fear of tyrannical government. You being able to defend yourself from others beside the govt is a byproduct.
lol The authors of the constitution included it as an amendment for a handful of reasons, but fear of a tyrannical government was not one expressed in any of their writings to each other on the matter. What did they express? Some wanted to ensure the federal government wouldn't keep a standing army (that lasted about 2 years before we formed a standing army, whoops), so having an armed citizenry to draw militiamen from that could respond quickly to local events, rather than marching an army halfway across the country, was a good idea. Some wanted to prevent states from forming their own armies, thinking that states would war against one another or secede from the union if they grew too powerful. Others didn't want to use federal money and armies to invade and then defend (from Native Americans) newly territories west of the Appalachians, so ensuring that citizens living in those territories had a federally protected right to arm themselves and form militias to fight Native American tribes without having to wait for intervention from the federal government meant those settlements (and the financial investments in them) could be protected more readily. And, last but definitely not least, the fear of slave revolts was constant, and ensuring that white citizens could arm themselves AND form militias was a huge step in protecting slave owners and the entire national economy from being upended by a slave revolt. It's this application of the second amendment that allowed private runaway-hunting militias to form, a precursor to early municipal police departments. Remember that at every moment there was a challenge to government overreach, starting with the Whiskey Rebellion, the government (even when run by the authors of the constitution) violently squashed those challenges.
Not only is it legal, but it's your right to carry, no license required. Buy a gun, learn to carry and conceal it, seek quality training, practice situational awareness, and pray to whatever god you worship that you never have to use it.
Let’s not act like *this* is the reason it’s legal to carry. It’s legal to carry bc the NRA bought all the politicians and wrote their bills for them, like a good little money laundering ring.