Amidst swirling questions and ongoing investigations, the Houston Police Department (HPD) is experiencing a significant shuffle in its command ranks. The Houston Chronicle reports that Donna Crawford, the commander spearheading the internal probe into the 264,000 cases dropped due to staffing issues, has been reassigned to the gang division before the investigation's conclusion. Mayor John Whitmire acknowledged the investigation's incomplete status, expressing uncertainty about the timing of its release. HPD spokesperson Shay Awosiayan framed the reassignments as part of a routine practice for officers remaining in a single role beyond a few years, intended to diversify their experience.
This shakeup includes changes for other commanders as well. According to the Houston Chronicle, Jonathon Halliday is transitioning from the department’s command center to southeast patrol. In contrast, Michael Collins shall move from southeast patrol to internal affairs, and James Dale to the command center from his previous west side patrol command. Meanwhile, Mario Clinton, formerly a lieutenant, has been promoted to commander, filling the gap left by Dale.
Such transitions notwithstanding, an undercurrent of tension exists regarding the dropped cases investigation. Retired HPD captain and criminal justice educator Gregory Fremin finds the timing of Crawford's reassignment unusual, stating to the Houston Chronicle, "I think they would typically leave someone until the investigation is over. Unless they know it's already done." Doug Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, confirms the routine nature of reassignments while noting that both Collins and Crawford had exceeded the usual tenure in their postings prior to their reassignments.
Parallel to the departmental reshuffle, the legal process involving the controversial Harding Street raid continues to encounter setbacks. ABC13 informs that charges against several officers implicated in an alleged overtime scheme connected to the fatal raid have been dismissed. The presiding judge deemed the indictments overly broad. While the trial for officer Gerald Goines, charged with murder in the raid, proceeds with jury selection this Friday, union president Doug Griffith reveals an expectation that, unlike Goines, those officers with dropped charges are unlikely to face re-indictment. He has expressed willingness to testify in the event the charges are revisited.
The Harding Street raid, which resulted in the deaths of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas – who were not drug dealers – has cast a long shadow over HPD, as has the suspended cases scandal. The alignment of ongoing legal proceedings with internal HPD reassignments brings to the foreground the complexity and gravity of accountability within law enforcement ranks. Despite these developments, the trial against Goines is slated to commence in September, maintaining its course through the turbulence of Houston's legal and law enforcement landscapes.
