In a significant shift for the Houston Police Department, a daily traffic stop quota has been officially scrapped, through a collective decision by law enforcement and city lawmakers. The Office of Houston Mayor John Whitmire, confirmed to KPRC 2 that the policy which mandated officers to initiate at least one traffic stop per day, was eliminated following a memo from Police Chief J. Noe Diaz Jr. on Wednesday morning.
The reform came to fruition after Houston City Council moved to outlaw police traffic stop quotas with Proposition A, effectively supplementing existing state laws that prohibit ticketing quotas but did not previously address quotas for stops. As reported by KHOU, Council members Edward Pollard, Tiffany Thomas, and Tarsha Jackson led the initiative, highlighting the disproportionate effect the quota had on Black and Hispanic communities and its potential to escalate officer-involved incidents.
Spearheading the motion, Council Member Pollard conveyed, "We've seen by the numbers that there has been disproportionate number of black and brown individuals who have been stopped." Detailing the proposal's intent, Pollard told his fellow council members, he aims to enhance public safety and build trust within the community. Council Member Jackson offered a deeply personal account of a previous encounter with law enforcement, sharing with the council, "The officer was aggressive. He threatened me, he handcuffed me, and he took me to jail. I wasn't treated like a human being," an experience which left a lasting impression and informed her stance on the issue, accoring to KHOU.
The Houston Police Officers Union supported the ordinance, and Chief Diaz also backed the change, even though the practice didn’t happen under his or the current mayor’s leadership. He had already made early policy changes before the vote. Council Member Julian Ramirez said requiring a set number of stops per shift can lead to violations of rights and unnecessary force, as per KHOU. The ordinance was approved unanimously by the council members at the meeting.
