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

Community members and a Houston civil rights attorney spoke to Mayor John Whitmire and city council about addressing the police evidence backlog issues. (KPRC)

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.

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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.


About the Author

Cynthia Miranda graduated from UT Austin and is a proud Houstonian. She is passionate about covering breaking news and community stories. Cynthia previously covered elections, the historic 2021 Texas winter storm, and other news in East Texas. In addition to writing, she also loves going to concerts, watching movies, and cooking with her family.

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