Community members ask city council to address Houston police evidence backlog issues

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Community members and a Houston civil rights attorney spoke to Mayor John Whitmire and city council about addressing the police evidence backlog issues.

Attorney Randall Kallinen said Houston police video evidence, 911 call recordings, and police disciplinary records are not being sent in a timely manner to the criminal justice system. He said this is leading to overcrowding at the Harris County Jail.

• RELATED: Family of special needs inmate who died in Harris County Jail honors their son, speaks out about jail deaths

Marisol Tobar is a family member of inmate Adael Garcia, 48, who was severely injured in the jail in 2022.

“The backlog of HPD evidence has contributed to backlog in the courts and dangerous jail overcrowding. Our family hopes by speeding up the HPD evidence production that other families will not have to go through what we have,” she said.

In Nov. 2023, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards ordered local officials to transfer inmates to other facilities due to a detention officer staffing shortage. About 1,200 inmates were sent to other jails in Nov. 2023.

Last year, several families also demanded accountability after their family members died in jail custody.

• RELATED: Families band together, demanding accountability, justice at Harris County Jail after eight in-custody deaths this year