Fixing The Problem
To reduce crime in Texas’ most violent county, vote out “every single one of these Democratic judges that are sitting in Harris County, Texas.”
The Problem
We documented the scope of Houston’s crime wave in 2022. Some factors — new courts, legislative changes, a handful of Republican judges — have improved the picture somewhat. But Houston still faces serious problems with violent crime.
Until 2018, Houston was among the safest major cities in the country, ranking 21 out of 25 major metro areas in crime. Today, Houston is one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. In the first three months of 2022, Houston led all cities in murders, beating even Chicago and Detroit. Hundreds of people were murdered in just the first few months of that year by career criminals who had been previously–and often repeatedly–arrested for violent crimes, then released back onto the streets on low or no-cost bonds, free to terrorize our community again. And the judges–all Democrats–take years to try serious cases, leaving perpetrators free to commit other crimes.
By early 2024, Houston hit the tragic milestone of 200 Harris County residents allegedly killed by criminal defendants let out of jail on multiple felony bonds. Then we learned that the crime wave in Houston has been much greater than previously reported. The Houston Police Department admitted it had not included over a quarter-million (264,371) incident reports that had been “suspended” and not investigated – the vast majority (98%) of them starting in 2018. Of the suspended cases, more than 4,000 related to adult sexual crimes, 9,012 fell under the Special Victims Unit, more than 100,000 fell under Major Assaults and Family Violence, and another 91,000 were Property or Financial crimes.
How did mostly peaceful Houston become murder city, USA in such a short time?
How Did This Happen?
1
CATCH AND RELEASE
In 2018, Democrats took control of Harris County government and courts. They promptly installed a revolving door at the courthouse with catch-and-release policies that free hardened criminals to return to Houston area streets:
- The number of offenders released by judges on multiple felony bonds “skyrocketed” after 2018
- In three years after 2018, the number of offenders that judges repeatedly released on two to four felony bonds “almost tripled”
- After 2018, judges released over 3,200 suspects of violent crimes on no-cash bail
- There were over 27,000 suspected violent criminals on Houston streets by 2022 that judges let out of jail on bond
- Judges released nearly five times as many repeat offenders on felony bonds compared to ten years ago
- By early 2024, there were some 900 people on the streets of Houston charged with murder or capital murder — waiting to be held accountable in court
- Recent reports in 2024 show that these judges do not punish those who violate the conditions of their bonds after they are let out of jail
- Hundreds have allegedly been murdered by repeat violent offenders that judges released on multiple bonds
Their radical policies are not required by law. Those policies have been put in place by choice—by Democrat judges and others following their Party’s stated goals to “transform” policing, eliminate cash bail, limit prison terms to 10 years regardless of the crime, and–incredibly –to actually end tough-on-crime sentencing. They treat criminals as victims, instead of protecting the people who are actually terrorized and destroyed by those criminals.
2
DELAYED JUSTICE
With Democrat judges in control, the court backlog grew enormously in Harris County. As of 2022, there were more than 450 untried capital murder cases. By 2024, among over 40,000 pending felony criminal cases, there were 1,700 murder cases waiting to be tried, . It now takes an average of 3.7 years for a murder case to be resolved in the courts, meaning of course that some take much longer.
Some judges conduct only a handful of trials a year. Cases languish on the docket. With such lengthy delays, accused criminals out on bond are free to commit other crimes. They have no incentive to return to court when the time for trial finally arrives. At the current rate, it will take years for violent criminals to be tried, if ever, as witnesses die or move away.
Democrat judges found many excuses for the lack of criminal trials, blaming flooding, COVID, or more while they delay trials and release violent offenders back on the street to rob, assault, shoot and murder again. But there is no excuse for these judges unleashing violent criminals to terrorize and murder us.
3
SHORTAGE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES
By 2022, the Houston area was flooded with unsolved crime:
- Over 50,000 open arrest warrants, for
- Over 25,000 felonies and
- Over 700 murders.
We need more resources devoted to real law enforcement.
Severe staffing shortages at the Houston Police Department (HPD) led to “suspending” over a quarter-million cases since 2018. The acting police chief testified to Houston City Council in 2024 that HPD is severely short-staffed: HPD had 5,500 officers and 2,000 civilians in 1998 but today has 300 fewer classified officers and 1,100 fewer civilians. We hope that reforms by Houston’s new Mayor Whitmire will repair HPD and restore effective law enforcement within the City.
In 2022, there were only a dozen people in the sheriff’s office looking for those 25,000-plus felony suspects. With 4,000 to 6,000 new warrants each month, the problem grew worse every day. However, Harris County’s governing body, Commissioner’s Court, continues to treat law enforcement with disrespect and contempt. In 2024, the Commissioners Court raised the tax rate by 8% (and taxes actually more, after appraisal increases), for an additional $264 million in taxes, but cut the net budget for the District Attorney despite three new felony criminal courts created by the Legislature.
Meanwhile, county officials have diverted resources needed for law enforcement to bicycle trails, lights, and trees that, while nice, do nothing to solve the current crime crisis. They have underfunded real law enforcement needs for new police officers, and disproportionately increased funding for public defenders of violent criminals — including an increase through 2025 of nearly $12 million more to the public defender’s office, resulting in too few prosecutors to keep up with the incessant crime waves. The revolving door of justice further demoralizes police who arrest offenders at great personal risk, only to watch them promptly return to the streets to commit more crimes.
The Solution
1
In the November 2024 election, vote out every Democrat judge from top to bottom of the Harris County ballot.
2
End catch-and-release bond policies.
3
Require judges to try all felony cases within a year of arrest, absent extraordinary circumstances.
4
Prohibit releases on bond when a firearm is used in a crime or possessed by a felon.
5
Restore law enforcement resources to prevent, apprehend, and prosecute criminals.