This is Houston you're talking about. Certainly not all cops in Houston are crooked, but there is a reputation that has followed the force from way on back to the 70’s.
I stay the hell outta Houston, can't stand the place.
I just moved back to Houston in August after 12 years elsewheres, including 10 years in Minnestoopid (talk about useless law enforcement). Only one HPD chief impressed me, and that was Sam Nuchia. I was in Minnestoopid at the time of the west side K-Mart fiasco(but read about it here on FR), and it was evident that Clarence Bradford had lost control of HPD.
Not impressed with Houston, ready to move to Deer Park. What the hey, I work there.
Goes further back than the 70s. In the 60s it was well known HPD was worse than the bad guys. You were very unlucky to get mixed up with them.
Houston is the top rathole of Texas, after Austin, of course. In a stupid contest, it would be a toss up between Austin and Houston.