Houston City Council Speakers Say HPD Called Them Before Speaking Out Against Department's Surveillance Policies
A chilling trend has emerged in Houston's city council meetings, where speakers who speak out against the police department's surveillance policies are being threatened with intimidation before they even take the podium. The unsettling phenomenon involves phone calls from the HPD, allegedly trying to convince critics of their tactics.
At this week's council meeting, several speakers took to the stand to express their concerns about the HPD's invasive camera systems, traffic stops, and relationship with federal immigration authorities. But what many didn't expect was the first hint of unease - a call from an unknown number, which some claim even contained veiled threats.
One speaker likened the experience to reading George Orwell's classic dystopian novel "1984," saying, "They've been saying some offensive things and even trying to argue about our pain caused by HPD. That's intimidation, and it violates the right to speak freely." Another speaker described receiving a call from an HPD officer attempting to dissuade her from criticizing their policies.
The disturbing trend has left many in the community feeling uneasy about exercising their First Amendment rights. Alondra Andrade, who spoke out against the HPD's camera systems and traffic stops, shared her harrowing experience of being called by a departmental representative who tried to persuade her otherwise.
"It is an extension of that surveillance system," she said, emphasizing that even minor interactions with HPD can be seen as part of their broader attempt to silence critics. The Houston Police Department has remained silent on the issue, but Mayor Whitmire's office claims that city officials call registered speakers in a good-faith effort to resolve problems.
However, council member Carolyn Evans Shabazz disagreed, stating, "People are calling from my office, council members, and certainly the mayor's office... But no one is to call and intimidate anyone. I was assured by the mayor's chief of staff that it would be addressed, and that is unacceptable."
The disturbing phenomenon highlights a growing concern about police surveillance in Houston and raises questions about the department's willingness to silence critics through intimidation tactics.
A chilling trend has emerged in Houston's city council meetings, where speakers who speak out against the police department's surveillance policies are being threatened with intimidation before they even take the podium. The unsettling phenomenon involves phone calls from the HPD, allegedly trying to convince critics of their tactics.
At this week's council meeting, several speakers took to the stand to express their concerns about the HPD's invasive camera systems, traffic stops, and relationship with federal immigration authorities. But what many didn't expect was the first hint of unease - a call from an unknown number, which some claim even contained veiled threats.
One speaker likened the experience to reading George Orwell's classic dystopian novel "1984," saying, "They've been saying some offensive things and even trying to argue about our pain caused by HPD. That's intimidation, and it violates the right to speak freely." Another speaker described receiving a call from an HPD officer attempting to dissuade her from criticizing their policies.
The disturbing trend has left many in the community feeling uneasy about exercising their First Amendment rights. Alondra Andrade, who spoke out against the HPD's camera systems and traffic stops, shared her harrowing experience of being called by a departmental representative who tried to persuade her otherwise.
"It is an extension of that surveillance system," she said, emphasizing that even minor interactions with HPD can be seen as part of their broader attempt to silence critics. The Houston Police Department has remained silent on the issue, but Mayor Whitmire's office claims that city officials call registered speakers in a good-faith effort to resolve problems.
However, council member Carolyn Evans Shabazz disagreed, stating, "People are calling from my office, council members, and certainly the mayor's office... But no one is to call and intimidate anyone. I was assured by the mayor's chief of staff that it would be addressed, and that is unacceptable."
The disturbing phenomenon highlights a growing concern about police surveillance in Houston and raises questions about the department's willingness to silence critics through intimidation tactics.
I mean, what's next? They'll be calling you to your grandma's birthday party to make sure you're not going to say anything bad about them, right? 
But seriously, can't the HPD just focus on keeping the streets safe instead of trying to control what we talk about? It's like they think our First Amendment rights are optional or something. Newsflash: they're not. And by the way, if you're going to try to intimidate us, at least have the decency to use a name tag and wear a fancy badge, like a real cop 
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. Like, what's next? They're gonna start showing up at people's doors and telling them they can't speak out against HPD's antics? It's already sketchy enough that they're trying to intimidate speakers into silence with phone calls, but now it's like they think they own the place 
. The fact that some council members are downplaying this is just as concerning, like, "oh, someone called you a bad person and now we're not gonna talk about it"? Give me a break 
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. The fact that these speakers are being targeted before they even take the stand suggests a deliberate attempt to stifle dissent and maintain the status quo. It's chilling to think that citizens' right to free speech can be used as leverage to silence critics of police policies. 
. The fact that registered speakers are being called and "persuaded" to retract their statements raises serious concerns about the department's commitment to transparency and public trust. 
this is literally so unsettling... i mean can u imagine getting a call from someone trying to tell u what r u saying is wrong? 
like what kinda power do they think they have? it's already scary enough dealing with the system, but when ppl try to bully u into silence it gets even more unbearable. i'm all for free speech and we should never be afraid of speaking up, no matter what 
This is getting super concerning 
. I mean, what kind of system allows for that kinda behavior? It's not about resolving problems or good-faith efforts – it's about silencing dissenting voices and suppressing free speech 
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The fact that some people are already feeling uneasy about exercising their First Amendment rights is a big red flag 
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. It's like, what even is the point of a free speech if you can get intimidated into shuttin' up? 
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we need more ppl like Carolyn Evans Shabazz who isn't afraid 2 speak truth 2 power 
. It's like they're trying to control the narrative and keep people from speaking truth to power. 
Are they really going to try to scare people off from speaking out?
. Can't have our First Amendment rights being trampled on like this 
. We need to make sure that everyone has the right to speak freely and safely 
it's like, we're supposed to be living in a democracy or something, right? where can we expect to express our opinions without being bullied or intimidated? 
i feel u alondra, it gets real scary when ppl try to dissuade you from saying nothin. mayor whitmire needs to step in and put a stop to this nonsense ASAP 
. And the fact that some of these calls were from an unknown number and even contained veiled threats makes it sound like a coordinated effort to silence critics 
, but what's concerning is that some people are actually being affected by this 
It's like they're trying to control the narrative instead of having a real conversation 
, especially when it comes to issues like police surveillance 
. We can't just sit back and let people be intimidated into silence 
. We gotta speak out and demand change 
. It's like they're trying to silence critics with their own tactics. And what really gets my goat is when the mayor's office tries to spin this as a "good-faith effort" to resolve problems 
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The fact that some council members are getting called by department reps and being told to pipe down is just crazy talk. I don't care if it's from the mayor's office or whatever, it's still intimidation, plain and simple. And what really gets my goat is that HPD won't even come out and say anything about it... like they're hiding something! 
. The fact that some council members are saying that this is okay and that city officials are calling people up in good faith just doesn't add up to me. I think we need to make sure our voices are being heard and not being intimidated by those in power 
. This whole thing just makes me want to amplify the voices of those who are already speaking truth to power and pushing for change 