HOUSTON – Reform of the bail bond system is an issue that KPRC 2 has tracked for months. Last month, a proposal that would make people accused of violent crimes pay at least 10 percent of the bond amount before they can get out of jail was voted down.
Supporters of that measure say, when bail bond companies take smaller percentages and put bonds on payment plans, it makes the community less safe.
State Senator John Whitmire was joined at a press conference Tuesday by crime victims’ families who have been negatively impacted by what Whitmire considers to be a “broken bond process.” They urged the Harris County Bail Bond Board to reconsider a motion to require bonding companies collect a minimum of 10 percent of bail set by judges for suspects before they are released on bond.
Whitmire says some bail bondsmen are even requiring substantially less than 10 percent.
“They need to correct their action of last March 9 when they took no action requiring the bail bond industry to have a 10% minimum, a threshold, before they issue suspects bonds which allows them in the streets of the city of Houston and Harris County,” Whitmire said.
“What we’re fighting for is to get the 10% that’s the minimum that we deserve,” said Wendy Alvarez, mother of Arlene Alvarez, a 9-year-old girl who was killed when caught in the crossfire of an armed robbery.
Bail bondsmen say they are not to blame for the city’s violent crime problem and feel they are being used as scapegoats.
“What would 10% really solve if we’re already close to charging it anyway? We already got high murder,” said Mario Garza, president, Professional Bondsmen of Harris County.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is asking city council to pass its own ordinance that would make it illegal for bail bond companies to collect less than 10 percent of the total amount of bail.
“It’s incumbent on city council to do it’s part to make sure bail bonding companies are not adding to issues impacting people on day to day basis,” Turner said.
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