Houston Police Department: Burglary and Theft Cases Not Top Priority

Houston, Texas

The Houston Police Department has been accused of a number of things, brutality, corruption, misconduct...

And now there is another deficiency on the table -- low scores whenever it comes to solving burglary and theft cases. In fact, the problem is so wide-spread, KPRC-TV in Houston has taken a closer look and the statistics are disturbing.

HPD records show between January and October of last year the department's Burglary and Theft division "received" more than 100,000 cases. Of those cases, HPD records show only about 11 percent were solved.

"Did you actually speak to any detective on your cases?" asked Local 2 Investigator Robert Arnold. "I've never spoken to a detective on my case," one victim answered. She told Local 2 her home was burglarized twice.

Her sense of frustration is shared by many Local 2 spoke with and said they never spoke to a detective about their case. HPD records show out of the cases received by the burglary and theft division between January and October of last year, only approximately 8 percent were assigned to a detective.

"It was suggested I check pawn shops," the woman said.
"HPD told you, yourself, to go out and start checking pawn shops for your stuff?" Arnold asked.

"Yes," she answered.

There are only 50 investigators in HPD's burglary and theft division and HPD Lieutenant Mike Osina said each investigator gets one to two new cases every day, even when they're on vacation or out sick.

HPD records show even if there is a clue as to who committed the crime there may not be a detective available to work the case all the way to an arrest. HPD records how between January and October of last year about 16 percent of cases where "suspended" even though there were clues as to who committed the crime.

"Some of these cases can take a month to solve, some may take a year," said Osina.
"If your car is burglarized in Small Town, Texas where they have one burglary a day it's probably going to be solved. If it's burglarized in Houston, Texas it's probably not going to get solved," said Hunt. "I hate to say that but that's the reality of a department."