A routine agenda merchandise on the Houston Metropolis Council shortly escalated right into a pointed trade between Mayor John Whitmire and Council Member Edward Pollard, revealing deeper tensions over funding management in Pollard’s “J Metropolis,” the newly rebranded title for District J. Pollard initially tagged the agenda merchandise, delaying a vote following final week’s debate. This week, Council Member Tiffany Thomas additionally tagged the merchandise, additional suspending consideration.
At problem is a proposed ordinance authorizing town to use for the Fiscal Yr 2027 Northeast and Westside Houston Violent Gang Crime Suppression Grant by way of the governor’s workplace. The grant would fund extra time for Houston Police Division models focusing on gang exercise within the Northeast and Westside divisions, together with areas inside Pollard’s district.
The disagreement unfolded through the dialogue of the grant software.
Whitmire and Pollard spar over funds
Pollard questioned why town was in search of extra time funding from the governor’s workplace whereas, he mentioned, his personal workplace had been repeatedly blocked from contributing related funds for group policing.
“That is my ask formally to have my workplace have the ability to present extra time {dollars} for group policing,” mentioned Pollard, noting that his workplace had supplied such funding for months however had been declined by the division.
Pollard framed the difficulty as a matter of equity and consistency, arguing that different council members have been capable of allocate extra time {dollars} of their districts. He additionally pointed to precedent, saying his workplace had efficiently offered these funds in prior years.
The mayor, nonetheless, rejected the comparability, drawing a pointy distinction between state grant funding and what he described as Pollard’s strategy.
“That is essential to proceed this extra time gang job pressure,” Whitmire mentioned, including that town would transfer ahead with the state-supported funding.
Whitmire calls Pollard’s ‘J Metropolis’ a ‘make-believe metropolis’
Because the trade intensified, Whitmire accused Pollard of trying to “politicize” legislation enforcement, citing broader tensions stemming from Pollard’s branding of his district as “J Metropolis” and his push for extra localized management over policing sources.
“You’re very conversant in your dialog and your calls for upon the division to politicize the division in your space along with your decals and make-believe cities, so I’m simply not going to have this dialogue,” Whitmire mentioned, urging Pollard to take his issues on to the police chief as an alternative of debating them at council.
Pollard pushed again, warning that the dispute has actual penalties for residents.
“The unlucky half about it’s the residents of ‘J Metropolis’ are those which might be being harm by your choice to not enable extra time {dollars} for HPD that will likely be for group policing.”
Council Member Edward Pollard to Mayor John Whitmire
“The unlucky half about it’s the residents of ‘J Metropolis’ are those which might be being harm by your choice to not enable extra time {dollars} for HPD that will likely be for group policing,” he mentioned.
Pollard tagged the agenda merchandise, indicating the vote will happen on the subsequent council assembly on March 25.
Background
His frustration stems from a years-long initiative he launched in 2020, within the aftermath of George Floyd’s homicide, aimed toward strengthening belief between police and residents in his district, and addressing points like panhandling and trespassing.
Pollard’s group patrol program relied on officers who volunteer for additional shifts and are paid by way of district funds. Residents submit complaints on to his workplace, prompting officers to reply.
Pollard allotted roughly $750,000 yearly in district service funds to assist the patrol and spent a further $30,000 on six ATVs.
For a number of years, the mannequin operated alongside HPD. However that relationship has since deteriorated.
In November, HPD formally notified Pollard that it could now not settle for extra time {dollars} from his workplace. In a letter, Government Chief Thomas Hardin raised issues about this system’s construction.
The rejection successfully halted funding for Pollard’s patrol program, at the same time as town continues to pursue different sources of extra time funding, together with the state grant now into consideration.
