The Houston Police Department has rejected overtime funds from Councilmember Edward Pollard, ending the District J Patrol program.
The District J Patrol targets “quality of life” issues and neighborhood violations using specialized Polaris off-road vehicles. Open-concept vehicles let officers patrol parks, bayous, and apartment complexes, promoting direct engagement. Officers have addressed issues like junk vehicles, panhandling, illegal parking, graffiti, and other quality-of-life violations.
Since 2020, Pollard’s office has invested about $750,000 a year out of his council funds to support HPD overtime for neighborhood policing in southwest Houston, including Sharpstown and Gulfton. He says the program kept residents safer and addressed quality‑of‑life issues often overlooked, and vows to keep fighting for it.
Pollard believes HPD’s decision to reject the funding is politically motivated because previous HPD leadership, appointed by the late former mayor, Sylvester Turner, approved the funds and the program each year. Under the HPD’s new leadership, appointed by Mayor John Whitmire, however, the department rejected the funding.
