softheart
05-25-2003, 11:45 AM
May 24, 2003
By THOM MARSHALL, Houston Chronicle
TOP COP C.O. BRADFORD is shutting down the Inspections Division of the
Houston Police Department.
That seems pretty fishy, considering it was that office that first
informed Bradford about problems in the crime lab when he became chief,
and considering this is a time of tremendous crisis, scandal and internal
turmoil down at HPD headquarters.
The Inspections Division was created 20 years ago by Lee Brown, when he
was our police chief.
As our current mayor and Bradford's current boss, Brown keeps trying to
reassure us that he doesn't need to appoint a special board to investigate
the crime lab mess because that already is being tended to and the police
department's own internal probing is an important part of the process.
However, sources in the department said this week that the internal
process can't be trusted because of how it can be manipulated. Or ignored.
Or shut down.
Crime lab only getting worse
The official description of Inspections Division duties is that it
"conducts in-depth examinations of functions, programs or components of
the department as directed by the Chief of Police. Audits are conducted
outside the normal chain of command to ensure an objective review of
agency procedures and activities. The Inspections Division also
coordinates and promulgates policy through written directives such as
General Orders and Standard Operating Procedures."
Former chief Sam Nuchia ordered the Inspections Division to audit the DNA
lab in October 1996, after a man had spent nine months in jail waiting for
DNA test results that cleared him of rape charges.
The audit found several problems that were listed and detailed in a report
issued in November. That same month Nuchia tendered his resignation after
getting elected to the 1st Court of Appeals, and Bradford was appointed to
replace him.
Sources at headquarters said Bradford requested more information about the
crime lab audit after taking over as chief. And in March 1997, a Chronicle
story reported that police were changing crime lab procedures to provide
more thorough tracking, training and management.
That sounded good, but it obviously didn't mean much.
A source said that a few months after the initial audit, when the
Inspections Division sent a letter to Bradford requesting his OK for a
compliance audit, there was no response. Compliance audits routinely
follow initial audits that turn up problems, to make sure the problems
have been fixed. A second request was sent to Bradford and still no
response. Without authorization, no compliance audit could be performed.
As we learned several months ago, the crime lab problems that existed when
Bradford took over as chief were never fixed. They apparently grew worse.
Police spokesman Robert Hurst said Friday that when the Inspection
Division is shut down on July 1, the functions it performed will be
transferred to HPD's Legal Services Division and an executive assistant
chief.
That might sound OK in these times of tight budgets, except we must
consider Bradford's track record with the crime lab and internal audits
and assurances that problems were being fixed. We'd be dupes to take the
official line about closing the Inspection Division at face value.
Time running out for Bradford
Shortly after landing the top cop job in 1996, Bradford told a Chronicle
reporter: "When I decided on Nov. 7 that I was going to serve as chief of
police ... I also decided that I had definitely begun the first day of my
last days with this organization.
"When you step into the chief of police position, you have to be prepared
and understand that you could be on your way out of the organization.
"I will do the best I can while I'm here, whether that's six months or one
year or four years."
He's been chief for 6 1/2 years. The crime lab mess that he has known
about since first taking over has only continued to grow worse after we
were told it was being fixed. We don't yet know the extent of injustice
and expense it caused.
More and more it looks like Bradford is on his way out of the
organization.
I called his office because I wanted to talk to him before I started
writing this. He hadn't called back by the time it was finished.
--------
Source : Houston Chronicle
By THOM MARSHALL, Houston Chronicle
TOP COP C.O. BRADFORD is shutting down the Inspections Division of the
Houston Police Department.
That seems pretty fishy, considering it was that office that first
informed Bradford about problems in the crime lab when he became chief,
and considering this is a time of tremendous crisis, scandal and internal
turmoil down at HPD headquarters.
The Inspections Division was created 20 years ago by Lee Brown, when he
was our police chief.
As our current mayor and Bradford's current boss, Brown keeps trying to
reassure us that he doesn't need to appoint a special board to investigate
the crime lab mess because that already is being tended to and the police
department's own internal probing is an important part of the process.
However, sources in the department said this week that the internal
process can't be trusted because of how it can be manipulated. Or ignored.
Or shut down.
Crime lab only getting worse
The official description of Inspections Division duties is that it
"conducts in-depth examinations of functions, programs or components of
the department as directed by the Chief of Police. Audits are conducted
outside the normal chain of command to ensure an objective review of
agency procedures and activities. The Inspections Division also
coordinates and promulgates policy through written directives such as
General Orders and Standard Operating Procedures."
Former chief Sam Nuchia ordered the Inspections Division to audit the DNA
lab in October 1996, after a man had spent nine months in jail waiting for
DNA test results that cleared him of rape charges.
The audit found several problems that were listed and detailed in a report
issued in November. That same month Nuchia tendered his resignation after
getting elected to the 1st Court of Appeals, and Bradford was appointed to
replace him.
Sources at headquarters said Bradford requested more information about the
crime lab audit after taking over as chief. And in March 1997, a Chronicle
story reported that police were changing crime lab procedures to provide
more thorough tracking, training and management.
That sounded good, but it obviously didn't mean much.
A source said that a few months after the initial audit, when the
Inspections Division sent a letter to Bradford requesting his OK for a
compliance audit, there was no response. Compliance audits routinely
follow initial audits that turn up problems, to make sure the problems
have been fixed. A second request was sent to Bradford and still no
response. Without authorization, no compliance audit could be performed.
As we learned several months ago, the crime lab problems that existed when
Bradford took over as chief were never fixed. They apparently grew worse.
Police spokesman Robert Hurst said Friday that when the Inspection
Division is shut down on July 1, the functions it performed will be
transferred to HPD's Legal Services Division and an executive assistant
chief.
That might sound OK in these times of tight budgets, except we must
consider Bradford's track record with the crime lab and internal audits
and assurances that problems were being fixed. We'd be dupes to take the
official line about closing the Inspection Division at face value.
Time running out for Bradford
Shortly after landing the top cop job in 1996, Bradford told a Chronicle
reporter: "When I decided on Nov. 7 that I was going to serve as chief of
police ... I also decided that I had definitely begun the first day of my
last days with this organization.
"When you step into the chief of police position, you have to be prepared
and understand that you could be on your way out of the organization.
"I will do the best I can while I'm here, whether that's six months or one
year or four years."
He's been chief for 6 1/2 years. The crime lab mess that he has known
about since first taking over has only continued to grow worse after we
were told it was being fixed. We don't yet know the extent of injustice
and expense it caused.
More and more it looks like Bradford is on his way out of the
organization.
I called his office because I wanted to talk to him before I started
writing this. He hadn't called back by the time it was finished.
--------
Source : Houston Chronicle