Free Republic

Memo Sheds Light On Parking Lot Raid Lawsuit Filed Posted: 5:35 p.m. CDT August 26, 2002 HOUSTON -- A memo shed light Monday on a controversial raid in a Kmart parking lot that netted nearly 300 arrests. An attorney for Houston Police Capt. Mark Aguirre said that a memo dated Aug. 13 to Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford showed that there would be mass arrests in a crackdown on street racing. Aguirre's attorney said that if his client is reprimanded over the raid, the police chief should be as well. "For the chief's office now to say they didn't know...

Captain under fire defends street racing arrests More officers are relieved of duty Capt. Mark Aguirre appeared with his lawyer on Monday. By Patrick NolanABC13 Eyewitness News(8/26/02) — The Houston police captain at the center of the controversial trespassing arrests a week ago says he's being made a scapegoat. Meantime, ten police supervisors involved in the arrests have been relieved of duty. Captain Mark Aguirre spoke through his lawyer at a news conference Monday afternoon.Amateur video taken in April leaves no doubt that street racing was a problem in the area of Westheimer and Dunvale in west Houston. And police...

Houston's police administration is gaining nothing and causing potentially severe credibility problems for its well-trained, yet beleaguered patrol officers by using a lock-down, siege mentality in the ongoing Kmart parking lot controversy. The Kmart incident puts a clear face on the major problems Houston's street officers encounter each time they try to help businesses and residents maintain the high quality of living standards they expect. The utmost problem lies with patrol staffing levels that have been consistently problematic and the lack of a strategic plan that would more effectively control late-night parking lot crowds. The time has come to face...

<p>A contingent of op-ed and letter writers to the Chronicle has taken the position that arresting 278 young people during a raid on a shopping center and restaurant parking lot last weekend was entirely justified because of the annoying late-night loitering and drag racing that had become typical at that spot. But the problem with the raid is not that police officers tried to arrest lawbreakers in and around the 24- hour Kmart Super Center parking in the 8400 block of Westheimer. It is with the contemptuous attitude police showed toward the citizenry by not bothering to sort out the good from the bad.</p>

<p>The arrests of hundreds of people last weekend in a Kmart parking lot in west Houston raise a lot of questions that should -- but probably never will be -- answered about the Houston Police Department and our city government.</p> <p>There are only a relative handful of captains in the Houston Police Department. Bradford should know all of them. If Aguirre lacked the judgment to run this type of operation, the chief should have picked someone else.</p>

"Simply issuing citations has had little or no impact" 08/23/2002 By Jeff McShan / 11 News HOUSTON (KHOU) -- With parents still fuming over the arrests of hundreds of teenagers for trespassing, 11 news has learned the chief, himself, was apparently in on the planning for Operation E-racer. Houston Police Chief Clarence Bradford made it clear this week that the raid on Westheimer would be thoroughly investigated. Hundreds were arrested in a sting operation set up to curtail street racers and trespassers. But many have filed complaints saying the arrests were unjust. People like Emily Demmler. "I was handcuffed. I...