Mayor Whitmire joins ABC13 town hall to answer your questions on crime
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- "We want the bad guys... and we will find them."
Houston Mayor John Whitmire campaigned on improving public safety. So, what has he accomplished during his first month in office?
The mayor and Houston Police Chief Troy Finner sat down with ABC13's Tom Abrahams for an Action 13 town hall, "The First 30 Days."
With crime and public safety a top issue of the 2023 mayor's race, we spent an hour with Mayor Whitmire and Chief Finner talking about how his administration is bringing a different approach.
"We're not like the other large cities in America that kind of just kicked the can down the road," Whitmire said. "I'm going to protect the citizens of Houston."
Part of the conversation focused on what they've already accomplished during the mayor's first month in office.
A big priority, Whitmire said, includes collaborating with more than 80 law enforcement agencies outside Houston to share intelligence and crack down on violent crime.
"Crime doesn't stop at the city limits, and quite frankly, we're going to follow the crime," Whitmire said. "I mean, it's just nuts that we're not on the same radio frequency, that we can't assist an officer just because he happens to be in another jurisdiction."
During the hour, the mayor and the chief also addressed concern over repeat offenders being released onto Houston streets.
"You can't keep allowing police and anybody else to arrest individuals, and especially the violent ones, and we're letting them out and not holding them accountable," Finner said. "You talk about a morale killer, that is."
We also asked the mayor how he plans to address road rage, block parties and other concerns you submitted to Action 13.
