History of the Houston Police Department explained

Agencyname:Houston Police Department
Motto:Order through law, justice with mercy
Formedyear:1841
Legaljuris:Municipal
Stationtype:Station
Aircraft1type:Helicopter
Aircraft1:5
Chief1name:Troy Finner
Chief1position:Chief of Police
Sworn:over 5,000

The history of the Houston Police Department started with the founding of the City of Houston. While the department's beginning was humble, it grew more advanced as technology became available and was able to handle the various challenges that would plague various cities as well as some of the more distinctive aspects of its geography.

Chronology

Early history

The first constable of the then recently incorporated capital city of the Republic of Texas, Houston was elected in 1837, making him the city's first law enforcement officer. The police force itself was not established until 1841 by Houston's first marshal, Daniel Busley.

There was little patrolling of the city during the next 20 years. It was up to the individual businessmen to hire guards to protect their establishments. In 1866, Marshal Isaac C. Lord began to establish HPD as a proper police force by setting hiring rules, regulations, and requirements in hiring practices for recruits. The new policies were reviewed by the city council and were added to the City Charter (Art 308–344). Isaac C. Lord lobbied and succeeded in adopting the dress uniform which states, "The dress of the members of the police force shall be navy blue, indigo die and all wool." (Art 333, 1866)It was also during this period on March 10, 1860, that C. Edward Foley became the first to fall in the line of duty while on patrol.[1]

In 1873, during Reconstruction, R. Van Patton was appointed City Marshal. It was during his tenure that the force hired its first black officers. The officer complement at this time was 12, with an even number of black and white officers. The second-in-command Deputy Marshal was the first black officer to hold that position among those hired. During this year, the "Manual of the Houston Police Force" was written and the salary was set at $60 a month where it would stay until 1915.

1894 was the year where the department hired its first two police detectives and purchased a patrol wagon. The term "Wagon call" is still used to this day when it is required to transport prisoners.

In 1900, The title "City Marshal" was changed to "Chief of Police", however it remained an elected position. J.G. Blackburn was the last person to have the title "City Marshal" and with re-election, the first to have the title "Chief of Police." In the same year, the first female matron was hired and the name of the force was changed to "The Houston Police Department."

1910–1919

On August 23, 1910, the first police chief was appointed by the mayor instead of being elected. Later that year, Houston purchased its first police car, along with the formation of the city's first traffic squad to help maintato Houston's bustling streets at that time.

On April 21, 1911, Mayor Baldwin Rice hires Frank Hamer to assist special officers who were investigating a gang that had killed several HPD officers.[2] Frank Hamer would later become a legendary Texas Ranger.

The first raise in several decades occurred in 1915 from $60 to $75 a month along with the reduction of work hours (from 12 hours to 8) on their shift.

See main article: Houston Riot (1917). At the beginning of the First World War, there were two military bases in Houston. One was Ellington Field along (Then Known as) Galveston Road and Camp Logan (Later to become Memorial Park). These two camps Trained, Housed Bomber Cadets and The 24th Infantry Regiment, respectively. The Northern troops resented the segregation of Houston and things came to a head when a black soldier was arrested for interfering in the arrest of a black woman. A clash between the black soldiers and the Houston Police Department erupted shortly thereafter that resulted in the deaths of 16 whites (5 of them police officers), several black soldiers, two white soldiers, and one Hispanic soldier. It was only after Mayor Moody called for federal troops and Martial law declared was the riot eventually quelled.

In 1918 HPD hired Eva Jane Bacher as its first policewoman and in 1921 was assigned to the Public Moral and safety squad (Which later turned into the Vice Division), making her the first female Detective.

1920–1929

In 1920, HPD revised its application examination to cover its duties, responsibilities, various procedures and firearms policies.Additionally, the following tools and policies were added to the police department in

1921:

In 1925, the City of Houston initiated the delivery of complimentary municipal healthcare services for all city employees at the Historic Jefferson Davis Hospital, located in Houston's Historic First Ward. HPD moved to its new building that same year.

On October 19, 1926, Magnolia Park, the first substation was opened. The assigned officers were close to the ship channel and were kept busy with prohibition violations and were charged with intercepting all forms of liquor.

The remainder of the decade saw the following milestones:

1927:

1928:

1929:

1930–1939

In 1930, the Touchy Furniture Store Robbery highlighted a deficiency in the firepower of HPD's weapons. Several .38 caliber shots struck but failed to penetrate the suspect's vehicle as it got away resulting in the deaths of 2 officers. As a result, the city started to issue .44 caliber guns instead.

Also in 1930:

In 1933 The Police and Fire Departments were merged briefly under the Department of Safety. Two-way radios were installed in the patrol cars and received called from the police radio station KGZB. This allowed for "Scout Cars" to be deployed more effectively and designed to create a feeling of friendliness and safety between the department and citizens.

The milestones of the 1930s included:

1935:

1936:

1937:

1939:

Additionally in 1939, HPD started its first Police Academy Class held at the Sam Houston Coliseum under the direction of Captain L.D. Morrison that lasted 5 weeks. The first class that graduated was on August 16, 1939, and is referred to as the Class of '39.[3]

1940–1949

In 1940, HPD had grown to 466 officers. With the increased use of the police radios, a PBX operator was hired to handle police calls.In the same year the Department started giving voluntary blood tests to determine the intoxication of suspected drunken drivers.

In 1941, Neal Picket was elected Mayor of Houston named Ray Ashworth as Chief of police. This move sparked controversy because he was originally the Chief of Police from San Antonio. Counsel members were hoping to hire a new chief from within the rank and file of the current police department. Ashworth quickly instituted the following changes:

In 1945, The Houston Police Officers Association (HPOA) was established.

1950–1959

In October 1950, a new City ordinance took effect that reduced the police work week from 48 to 40 hours.In 1951, Chief Morrison announced a "booster squad" designed to be deployed at certain crime-infested parts of the city that proved to be quite effective in cutting down crime in areas they worked in.Also in that year, the first of the three-wheeled motorcycles to direct traffic and write tickets.

In 1953 The 100 Club, a 501(c)(3) charity, was founded by Leopold L. Meyer, Ray R, Elliot, R.H. Abercrombie, William A. "Bill" Smith and James Marion West Jr. to help Police officers by providing assistance when officers are hurt or killed in the line of duty.

In 1954, Chief Jack Heard was appointed Chief of Police. Under his tenure he implemented the following changes:

Chief Heard would also be elected to Harris County Sheriff in 1972.

1956 Carl Shuptrine was appointed Chief and in 1957 he reassigned 70 officers from downtown foot patrol to patrol cars to help get to Houston's newly annexed areas. This was an effort to "decentralize" the Police Department and to economize manpower. This included 17 civilian jailers and in 1959 purchased two lots for future substations.

1960–1969

In 1960, some of the requirements were trainee applicants during this time frame were to be:

  1. 21 years of age or older
  2. 5'8" to 6'5" tall
  3. A high school graduate or have passed an entrance exam given by the University of Houston
  4. In excellent physical condition with no history of asthma, hay fever, tuberculosis, or diabetes
  5. Free from any physical defects or deformations.
  6. Live within 150miles radius of Houston

Other milestones for the 1960s include:

1960: The Central Intelligence Division was created to track "hoodlums".

1962:

1964: Herman B. Short was appointed as the New Chief.

1965: The State of Texas established the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education (TCLEOSE)

1966:

1967:

In May 1967, protests erupted at Texas Southern University due to the Vietnam War and racial tensions of the time.[4] [5] In the aftermath of the police raid, one officer was found dead and 488 students were arrested.[6] Mayor Welch then planned community relations training program for police officers in the aftermath of the riot. He appointed 300 neighborhood aides from impoverished areas to provide a communication link to City Hall.

In 1968, the Department incorporated a hookup system between the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in Austin for immediate vehicle registration verification purposes and established a direct link with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) in Washington, DC. Another feature added was the teleprinter, which simultaneously typed an offense report as a new record was entered into the system.

By the end of 1969, the department had grown to 1,577 Officers and 223 civilian personnel.

1970–1979

In 1970, the Helicopter Patrol Division was formed with three leased Hughes 300 helicopters which gave the city the largest helicopter division in the nation. Bulletproof vests were also introduced to the rank and file and an initial purchase of 30 were made.

The Houston Police Department and the People's Party II clashed in the area of St. John's Baptist Church on 2800 Dowling Street. Members of the People's Party II had dared any HPD unit to drive down Dowling. As a result, Chief Short declared that any citizen of Houston or HPD would not be denied access to any public street. This resulted in a gun battle in which the leader, Carl Hampton, was killed.

Other milestones in the 1970s include:

1970:

1972: Chief Short issued a written version of a long-standing verbal policy against officers accepting rewards.

1973: City Council approves time-and-a-half overtime for all city employees.

1975:

1976:

1977:

1978 The department hired a psychologist (Dr. Gregory Riede) to screen police applicants and provide counseling services.

1979: The department announced a new neighborhood crime program called, "Houstonians on Watch". The program combined police patrol with citizen awareness and designed to cover selected high-crime areas.

One of the more significant advances came in 1979 when The Houston Police Department became one of only five police departments in the nation to have an automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS). AFIS was described as a computerized minutia-based fingerprint identification system, capable of storing approximately 375,000 criminal fingerprint records with descriptive information and an additional 12,000 unidentified latent fingerprints.

1980–1989

In 1982, Mayor Kathryn J. Whitmire was elected the first female mayor of the City of Houston and appointed Lee P. Brown as Chief of Police, who was the first person of color appointed to be Chief of Police and the first to hold a Doctorate. Brown succeeded Harry D. Caldwell.He instituted several changes including "Neighborhood Oriented Policing. " which is described as the following:"Neighborhood Oriented Policing is an interactive process between police officers assigned to specific beats and the citizens that either work or reside in these beats to mutually develop ways to identify problems and concerns and then assess viable solutions by provided available resources from both the police department and the community to address the problems and/or concerns."

Along with community policing, he instituted the following changes as well:

1983:

1984:

1985:

1986:

1987: The first command station (Westside) was opened.1988:

1990–1999

In 1990 Chief Brown left Houston to be the Police Commissioner for the New York Police Department. On January 20 of that year, Mayor Whitmire announced that Deputy Chief Elizabeth "Betsy" Watson as the new Chief of Police making her the first female to hold that position.

Chief Watson established the Personal Concerns Program that gave attention to and provided action to employees demonstrating behavior problems. The Chief also requested and was approved by city council to abolish the deputy chief rank and replaced it with assistant chiefs to flatten the department's hierarchy.

Since the Police Academy was closed for three years, this resulted in the loss of 600 positions, dropping the number below 4,000 personnel. Against the wishes of Chief Watson, the 60 College credit hour requirements were dropped.

In March 1991, The Texas Supreme Court ruled on the long running lawsuit known as Lee V. City of Houston. The Court held that "if a particular job assignment require no knowledge of police work in the Department, and entails no supervision of classified officers, the position need not be classified." But it held that the Act did prohibit non-classified employees from supervising classified employees.

With the election of Robert "Bob" Lanier in November 1991 and his swearing in ceremony two months later, he pledged to put the equivalent of 655 additional officers on the streets of Houston. After 47 days in office, Mayor Lanier announced the replacement of Chief Watson with former HPD Deputy Chief Sam Nuchia who was then serving as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Houston.

Immediately up on his appointment Chief Nuchia he went to a "back-to-basics" policing approach that would make crime fighting his first priority. He did away with one man units in patrol cars and made as many two-man units as possible.

Of the 655 officers added to the patrol duties, 361 were on patrol, 150 in investigative positions, and 144 on special assignments. The Airport Police department and City Marshals were merged into the HPD.

Other achievements of the decade included:

1993:

1994:

1995:

1996: Planning for police services were undertaken with the beginning of the Kingwood annexation process.

In January 1997, Chief Clarence Bradford was sworn in as the new Chief of Police.

One of the first priorities he accomplished was the elimination of the promotional ranks of sergeant and lieutenant. Judge Lynn Hughes granted a motion making it possible for the Police Department to fill vacant sergeant and lieutenant through promotions. However, the promotions were to be acting positions and would not accrue pension or seniority until the case known as the Edwards Lawsuit was settled.

It was also during 1997 that then Governor George W. Bush signed into law the new "meet and confer" legislation for the Houston Police Department. The legislation provided for officers to vote for a representative organization to negotiate for them with the City administration on a compensation package that would be brought before City Council.

In December 1997 the new 26-floor high-rise police headquarters (the former Houston Natural Gas Building) located at 1200 Travis was dedicated. The Mayor, Past chiefs of Police, other dignitaries and guests were on hand for the opening ceremony. The new facility was equipped with the latest security system and would house 2,200 employees.

Lee P. Brown, the former Chief of Police, was elected as City Mayor in November 1997 and took the oath of office in January 1998. He had become the second former head of the police Department to become the Mayor of Houston (I.C. Lord was the first in 1875).

2000–2005

2000:

The Houston Police Department announced the discontinuation of their "baby blue" livery that was painted on their Chevrolet Caprice Police vehicle and on their popular fleet of 1997, 1998 and a small percentage of some 1999 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor patrol cars. The paint was a special order and cost significantly higher and the city settled with white cars using the blue "Houston Police" logo. The last remaining "baby blue" car was retired from the department in late 2006 or early 2007. Some of the retired "baby blue" cruisers are sold at auctions with all police equipment stripped and returned to be reused in other cruisers.

2002:

On November, an investigative report made by KHOU about improper lab procedures and accuracy of results. It also pointed out various deficiencies of various lab personal in experience and education. The severity of the lack of credibility lay question of a number of cases, including those that were later convicted and put on death row.[11] The scandal involving the DNA Lab would last well into the decade. The other major milestones affecting HPD are:December: HPD suspends DNA testing after an investigate report and audit.

2003:

January: Harris County District attorney Chuck Rosenthal announces plans to retest DNA evidence from hundreds of cases.

March: Josiah Sutton, convicted with faulty DNA evidence, is released from prison after serving more than four years for a rape he did not commit.

October: The toxicology division, which tests for alcohol and drugs, is shuttered after its head fails a proficiency test.[12]

2004:

August: Police Chief Harold Hurtt reveals that evidence from thousands of cases dating back to the 1970s was improperly stored in HPD's property room.

October: George Rodriguez is released from prison after serving 17 years for a rape he did not commit. He was convicted on faulty work of the lab's serology division.[13]

2005:

2006–2009

2006:

2007:

2008

HPD reported the firing of its sixth cadet fired in recent times. The latest was found to be stealing from the police break-room and has since come under fire for lowering its hiring practices to attract new recruits.[33] [34]

The use of Bait cars in high crime areas has started to produce arrests in several stings being implemented in certain parts of the city.[35]

2009

Lamarques McWilliams was arrested as a suspected serial Killer[51] from August 2006 to September 2007, of 6 women and 9 sexual assaults in the Acres Homes area.[52]

2010—2019

At the beginning of the year, HPD's Theft Division acquired access to Leadsonline,[55] a privately owned online database of pawned merchandise to tap into the databases of the city's 133 pawnshops, junk yards, and thrift stores, as well as across the country. The access to this database allows to be able what was pawned, by who, and where. It has been considered a success because of the amount of property recovered and arrests made and has been said that it has more than made up for its $90,000 cost.[56]

2011:

2012:

2019:

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://odmp.org/agency/1727-houston-police-department-texas Officer Down Memorial Page
  2. Jenkins and Frost, I'm Frank Hamer, Abilene:State House Press, 1993.44,print
  3. http://www.click2houston.com/news/16747321/detail.html 200th HPD Academy Cadet Class Begins
  4. News: The TSU Riot, 50 years later. Houston Chronicle. 2017-12-13.
  5. Web site: The KPRC-TV Collection. Riots and Demonstrations (1967). Texas Archive of the Moving Image.
  6. News: Houston 101: An Earlier Time When Shots Rang Out At TSU. Alvarez. Olivia Flores. July 23, 2009. Houston Press. 2017-12-13.
  7. Web site: Police Officer David Huerta. ODMP.org. October 28, 2017.
  8. Web site: Ex-Police Chief Sentenced in Extortion Plot. Bruce. Cory. January 30, 1979. October 28, 2017. www.WashingtonPost.com.
  9. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/5730552.html Giddyup with HPD The Houston Police Department's horse unit is a valuable public relations tool
  10. http://www.odmp.org/officer/600-police-officer-michael-p.-roman Officer Down Memorial
  11. Liptak, Adam. (March 11, 2003). "Houston DNA Review Clears Convicted Rapist, and Ripples in Texas Could Be Vast" The New York Times.
  12. News: Khanna. Roma. October 30, 2003. Division Testing on Hold after Supervisor Fails Competency Exam. Houston Chronicle.
  13. News: Easton. Pam. October 9, 2004. Evidence Test Frees Man After 17 Years. Associated Press.
  14. http://www.houstontx.gov/safeclear/safeclear-press.pdf City Of Houston Safe Clear Press Release
  15. http://www.houstontx.gov/safeclear/chron-20050609.html City website on Safeclear
  16. http://www.chron.com/mm/ymap/lightcams/ link to Map on Chron.com
  17. http://www.click2houston.com/news/5215602/detail.html Mourners Honor Slain HPD Officer
  18. http://www.houstontx.gov/safeclear/oneyear/safeclear-oneyear.pdf City Of Houston Website
  19. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5035591.html HPD crime lab worker out; 200 cases in doubt
  20. http://blogs.chron.com/cityhall/archives/2007/03/scooter_squadro_1.html Scooter squadron
  21. Web site: Apps – Access My Library – Gale. www.AccessMyLibrary.com. October 28, 2017.
  22. http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou070914_tj_dronespd.d4e89c7a.html HPD may send Big Brother to the air
  23. Web site: Some workers accused of cheating on proficiency test; inquiry launched . McVicker, Steve . October 6, 2007. October 8, 2007 . Houston Chronicle .
  24. News: HPD: Crime Lab Employees Cheated on Open Book Test . October 6, 2007. October 8, 2007 . Associated Press . Fox26 Houston .
  25. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5183337.html HPD'S war on crime goes into overtime
  26. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5247376.html Red-light cameras', million put to use on police force
  27. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5272441.html New system alerts HPD to vehicles linked to crimes
  28. http://www.click2houston.com/investigates/14917735/detail.html Hispanic Officers Sue HPD
  29. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5402974.html Latino officers' suit alleges HPD race bias
  30. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/side/5465297.html New vehicle gives HPD more protection at SWAT scenes
  31. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5487532.html HPD again shuts down crime lab's DNA unit
  32. http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou080207_tj_newhpd.9e2efbe7.html City planning to sell off buildings, build new HPD complex
  33. http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou080208_tj_hpdproblems.a32e9084.html More HPD cadets becoming crooks
  34. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5526865.html HPD academy fires cadet accused of stealing money
  35. http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou080208_ac_baitcar.a1574c66.html Police getting plenty of catches using bait cars
  36. http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou0080619_ar_hpdcadets.1c4a99f9.html HPD will have 5,000 officers for first time since 2005
  37. https://abc13.com/archive/6218503/ HPD staffing reaches three-year high
  38. http://www.houstontx.gov/police/convenience_store/registration_form.htm Convenience Store Registration Form
  39. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5851866.html HPD urges stores to register under new security rules
  40. http://www.click2houston.com/news/16683094/detail.html Convenience Stores Ordered To Increase Security
  41. https://abc13.com/archive/6689513/ Mobility response team's fuzzy math
  42. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6395662.html A brake on crime Rigged cars come with one-way ticket to jail
  43. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6487258.html New HPD property room called 'dream come true'
  44. http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1245365018 New Property Room Erases Police Problems of Past
  45. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6494499.html HPD officer, suspect die in shootings
  46. http://www.click2houston.com/news/19841727/detail.html HPD Officer Killed In Line Of Duty
  47. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7036607.html Two convicted in death of HPD Officer Canales
  48. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/7041411.html Slain HPD officer remembered as a hero
  49. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/realestate/6557296.html Wiess Park gets back to nature
  50. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97320&id=103350909719&ref=nf Houston Police Department on Facebook
  51. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6618028.html Possible break in Acres Homes killings
  52. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6618461.html Police say rape suspect may be tied to slayings
  53. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6690864.html Houston police create new domestic violence unit
  54. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6772216.html HPD chief Hurtt to resign at end of year
  55. http://www.leadsonline.com/main/about-us/ LeadsOnline's "about us"
  56. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7262227.html Police using database to watch pawned items Listing helps locate thieves and stolen property
  57. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6836815.html Activists seek federal probe of police shootings
  58. http://www.click2houston.com/news/23148413/detail.html McClelland Confirmed As HPD Chief
  59. http://www.click2houston.com/news/23007934/detail.html McClelland To Be Next HPD Chief
  60. http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100414-new-police-chief-new-airport-director-for-houston New Police Chief, New Airport Director for Houston
  61. http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-new-hpd-chief-sworn-in-story,0,777685.story New HPD Chief Officially Sworn In
  62. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6959519.html New HPD Chief McClelland no stranger to obstacles
  63. https://abc13.com/archive/7642890/ HPD's High-tech center helping solve crimes
  64. https://archive.today/20120308005826/http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100422-officers-allowed-to-march-in-gay-pride-parade Officers Allowed to March in Gay Pride Parade
  65. http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-hpd-new-police-station-midwest-story,0,931855.story New Houston Police Station Opens its Doors
  66. http://www.khou.com/news/local/Mayor-Parker-police-chief-open-new-police-station-in-southwest-Houston--92261614.html New police station opens in southwest Houston
  67. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7114000.html Backlog prompts Lykos to call for emergency DNA lab
  68. https://abc13.com/archive/7562667/ Houston police get their own plane
  69. http://www.click2houston.com/news/25795500/detail.html "Red-Light Cameras To Be Turned Off Voters Decided To End Red-Light Program"
  70. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7361368.html Homicides in Houston continue 5-year decline
  71. News: Jeff . McShan . HPD Chief: Cutting helicopter hours will not compromise public safety . July 21, 2011 . KHOU-TV . July 24, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120825102354/http://www.khou.com/news/HPD-Chief-Cutting-helicopter-hours-will-not-compromise-public-safety-125983143.html . August 25, 2012 . mdy-all .
  72. News: Citations to start going out for red light runners . July 21, 2011 . KTRK-TV . July 22, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120731115303/http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=8263722 . July 31, 2012 . live .
  73. News: James . Pinkerton . Houston . July 22, 2011 . Houston Chronicle . July 22, 2011.
  74. News: Mayor: Houston's Murder Rate Hits Historic Low in 2011 . January 4, 2012 . CBS Local . February 21, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120111025207/http://houston.cbslocal.com/2012/01/04/mayor-houstons-murder-rate-hits-historic-low-in-2011/ . January 11, 2012 . dead .
  75. News: Robert . Stanton . HPD cruisers will get a makeover . July 2, 2012 . The Houston Chronicle . July 3, 2012.

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