Tackling Crime in Houston.

 

On Day One of the Sheila Jackson Lee administration, Sheila will appoint a Criminal Justice Director  who will report directly to her as mayor and help advise on and coordinate public safety policy. The Criminal Justice Director will bring all facets of the criminal justice system together with a unified purpose of solving crime and getting hardened criminals off the street.

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Moreover, having cases going to trial three, five, or more years after the crime is committed will no longer be standard practice. It is time to get current with trials, even if it means bringing in more visiting judges to help clear the backlog. We will unify these operations and identify the source of the actual problems. For example, it will no longer be acceptable to dismiss thousands of cases because a judge finds no probable cause. In a Jackson Lee administration, we will look at those cases and ask questions. 
 
Further, Houston will work to provide additional training to law enforcement to recognize what is needed to meet the probable cause threshold and to Assistant Prosecutors who accept charges on cases that lack the requisite evidence to move to trial. The purpose of this approach is not to embarrass or point fingers at any individual or organization. Instead, the objective will be to save taxpayers money, identify where additional training is needed, and make our streets safer.

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Sheila believes in solving problems. Crime in Houston is no exception. We have seen improving crime-related numbers, but we can and must do better. One robbery, rape, or murder is one too many.
 
Sheila and her opponent differ in approaches to addressing the problem. Though they both agree that we need more officers on the street to address crime, he wants to bring 200 Texas Department of Public (DPS) officers to Houston to address the problem. Sheila has faith in the Houston Police Department (HPD)! Given the resources, HPD can solve this problem. She knows how to get some of your tax dollars back to Houston to fund 200 HPD officers.
 

Addressing the Climate Crisis.

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Sheila Jackson Lee believes the climate crisis is among the most significant challenges facing our city and the nation. She believes that collectively, as a city, we must rethink how we address the environmental challenge by focusing on rebuilding Houston's infrastructure in a manner that places the environment at the forefront.

 

Extreme temperatures affect our health, food supply, and electric grid, and floods jeopardize our property. The increasing intensity and frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes along the Texas Gulf Coast threaten to upend our businesses and communities while disproportionally impacting disadvantaged neighborhoods and causing long-lasting social and financial hardships in these communities. Adapting to the changing climate is the only way we can protect the health and livelihood of all Houstonians. 

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A more detailed 8-point plan for Environmental Justice can be found here.