Substantial Budget Cuts Forcing Major Layoffs Throughout Multiple Law Enforcement Agencies In Houston /Harris County, Texas Area

Harris County Texas Precinct 4 announces major budget cuts, layoffs

HOUSTON -- Harris County budget cuts hit hard Friday at the Precinct 4 Constable’s Office; and the cuts will also impact two school districts and the Harris County Department of Education.

To compensate for a $7.1 million reduction in the budget, Constable Ron Hickman announced Friday that his entire staff, currently 415 employees, will take a 3 percent pay cut. Hickman says that 3 percent reduction in pay includes his salary as well.

In the next two weeks, Hickman expects to announce somewhere between 70 to 80 layoffs throughout Precinct 4.

More here...

http://www.khou.com/news/Precinct-4-Announces-Major-Budget-C...

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Harris County Precinct 5 budget cuts force deputy layoffs, position changes

HOUSTON – Eighteen Precinct 5 deputies were laid off Thursday, while others faced position changes, due to a $5 million budget cut in Harris County, according to sources.

In addition to the deputy cuts, five clerical positions were eliminated and one dispatcher was released.

Changes were also made among the remaining staff.

Seven sergeants had their ranks demoted to patrolmen and 97 full-time positions were cut to 32-hour weeks. That's a salary reduction of 20 percent. The individuals would retain their benefits.

More here...

http://www.khou.com/home/Harris-County-budget-cuts-force-dep...

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The Harris County Attorney and Tax-Assessor Collector said they may each have to lay off as many as 25 people

HOUSTON -- Layoffs are almost a certainty in Harris County after county commissioners slashed 10 percent from the county's budget.

The cuts, which total $138 million, mean cutbacks are inevitable.

Personnel reductions and shorter operating hours are possible at the county's 163 parks and 27 public libraries.

The Harris County Attorney and Tax-Assessor Collector said they may each have to lay off as many as 25 people.

More here...

http://www.khou.com/home/Layoffs-likely-after-Harris-County-...

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Harris County Sheriff's Office and health department's budget slashed

HOUSTON – Harris County Commissioners have approved the county’s $1.4 billion budget and nearly every county agency and department felt the squeeze of the economic downturn.

An expected decline in property tax revenues left commissioners with few good options.

11News has confirmed that as many as forty employees of the Harris County Health Department will likely be laid off. The department is being given about $2.5 million less than what it asked for its budget. A final decision is expected to be announced Wednesday.

More here...

http://www.khou.com/home/Harris-County-Sheriffs-Office-budge...

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Harris County Fire Marshal's Office to cut jobs

HOUSTON—The budget crisis has prompted the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office to cut jobs.

In a press release Friday, the office said they will be eliminating four positions effective February 11, 2011.

More here...

http://www.khou.com/home/Harris-County-Fire-Marshals-Office-...

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And a typical fascist reaction here, privatize the jail... "Harris County to study privatizing Harris County Jail"

HOUSTON -- In a budget debate that included discussion of possibly raising Harris County taxes by 2012, ending take-home car privileges for county employees and closing county parks one day each week, Harris County Commissioners agreed to study the idea of handing over the Harris County Detention System to a private company.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack proposed the jail privatization idea as one of several ways for the county to trim its budget. The county’s budget officer told commissioners that, at the present mid-year review, the county has $34 million less to work with than expected and could have as much as $51 million less by the end of the fiscal year.

"And why not go ahead and explore the privatization of the jail? There's a lot of things the private sector can do cheaper than government and I think it's worth studying to see if it's possible to save a lot of money,” said Radack of the more than $200 million budget for the county’s jail system and the more than 1,500 detention officers in control of more than 7,000 inmates.

More here...

http://www.khou.com/home/related/Harris-County-to-Study-Priv...

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Looks as though the tax eaters are not even safe in Texas these days.

But we will have to chop a lot more than this to make a dent in Houston where it is not uncommon to have police cars from 3 to 4 different departments (sheriff, constable, city, school district police) starring you down / facing you because of their redundant excessively patrols at one intersection.

It is also not uncommon to have two or three extra cop cars (half a standing army why I classified this post under war and peace) roll up behind one poor victim getting a speeding ticket.

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