Click Play Above
I love the HPD blog readers. They send me all kinds of pictures and videos. This video in which a reader sent me was very simple and short. No words or description needed. When you become an HPD officer, remember, you must maintain your sense of humor. I laughed out loud when I opened this video, I think you will see why after you watch it.
The Recruiting office is closed today (Friday, November 27, 2009) however, you can still apply online at www.hpdcareer.com . The office will be open on Monday morning.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. Today we give thanks and put aside our differences. If you are a crook and reading this blog, buy a cop a cup of coffee and a donut today. We will catch you tomorrow!
Click Play Above
This video really has nothing to do with recruiting but the statistics were so staggering I had to share it with my readers so this holiday season you do not get your cars broken into. Please tell your family and friends.
As you begin your travel today to visit family and friends, please be careful and hide those valuables!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I know what you are thinking. The answer is NO. I do not know of any laws in the Texas Penal Code or the city ordinances that that would allow us to arrest Mr. Brown for missing a field goal. So if you were thinking about becoming a police officer after watching the game last night to do just that, think again. However, we still welcome you. Apply online today! http://www.hpdcareer.com/
The Houston Police Department revived the combination of the horse and Patrol Officer in 1984 with the establishment of the Mounted Patrol Unit. Today, the Mounted Patrol Detail is part of the Special Operations Division, under the Tactical Support Command. The Mounted Patrol Detail has established itself as an undeniable asset to the Houston Police Department and the community we serve. One Mounted Officer and his/her mount are as effective as 10-12 foot officers in crowd control situations. Although the Mounted Officer may be very intimidating in crowd control situations, the general public sees him/her as very approachable. Citizens who wish to see and touch the horse will stop the Mounted Patrol Officer many times in his/her tour of duty to say hello.
Click Play Above
Police work is different than any other career. To quote a line from the movie Forrest Gump, "You never know what you're gonna get." Some days will be exciting and some days will be slow, but I promise you will never be bored. This video shows how different this career path can be from any other job.
I love HPD, my trainer feeds me donut holes and I get to chase down crooks like old tennis balls!
Click Play Above Source: Youtube
One of my blog readers sent me this video along with an email asking me how to become a Bomb Squad member. I am not sure if he was joking about becoming a member of the HPD Bomb Squad, but if this is you in the video, I say you should think of a different career. All kidding aside, did you know that the Bomb Squad is just one of over 250 different units that are available to you within HPD. From riding a horse to flying a helicopter, you can do it here. Everyone must patrol for at least two years after your probationary period before you can put in for most of the specialized units. However, a few units require up to five years of patrol.
The newest "Ladies of HPD" started patrolling the streets this past weekend.
Click Play Above
Many careers change throughout ones lifetime. Once you become part of a team, family and institution such as HPD, you won't want to leave. Being a police officer is unlike any career you have had before. The camaraderie is hard to explain unless you experience it for yourself. Class 2o6 will be close forever, and many, if not all, will go on to a long and storied career with HPD. Why not change your career and join our family today.
Click Play Above
Tradition held strong as Class 206 held their final roll call as the sun rose above the police academy this morning. Academy Classes 207 watched Class 206 with pride, knowing that they too will soon be performing their final roll call in January. Cadet classes will stand in formation during roll call and will announce their names one by one very quickly. Throughout training, roll calls are done the same way every time, every morning. However, on graduation day, such as Class 206, it is done a little differently with each cadet of Class 206 slowing down and pronouncing their name loudly and proudly. Congratulations 206, make us proud.
64 new police officers will soon be welcomed into the HPD family. Academy Class 206 begins protecting and serving after tonight. The graduation will be held tonight at 7:00pm, off site from the police academy, at Chavez High School located at 8501 Howard. Academy Class 206, it's time to do some good and make us proud!
Click Play Above
The recruiting office is closed today to observe Veterans Day. You may still apply online at http://www.hpdcareer.com/ .
Many of our employees (family) here at HPD are veterans. Thank you for your service to our country. Today we salute you.
Courtesy of the HPD Video Unit
Click Play Above
Cadet Nic Vo, in HPD Academy Class #206, just completed a feat that most men and women will never accomplish. Vo broke the HPD Academy’s record number of push-ups by a male by performing 1,206 push-ups during a recent physical agility test. The previous record was 1100 push-ups. The record number of push-ups for a female HPD cadet is 405, set most recently by Officer Ana Andino of Class #204. http://www.hpdblog.com/2009/07/blog-post_07.html Cadet Vo attributes his success to a willingness to not give up; a strong mind and extra hours spent training at home. "Initially, I wasn’t going for any records when I entered the academy. My instructor told me that it would be a hard record to break, so I left it alone and didn’t think about it again. A few months ago, our class leader came to me and asked me to go for the record. I did it for him. For our class, class #206. The first 1,100 push-ups was to break the record, the other 206 push-ups is for our cadet class." Cadet Vo’s strength and determination have earned him the admiration of his fellow cadets. He trained by spending each evening doing 500-600 push-ups and performing pull-ups to build his upper body strength. The day he broke the record he was joined by fellow classmates who did push-ups alongside him to encourage him, and cheered him for the one hour it took to do the push-ups. But even Vo admits he wasn’t 100% confident he was going to be able to live up to his classmates’ expectations. But after breaking the record, he confidently admits he thinks he could go further, maybe even 2,000 someday. Now, Vo is looking forward to his future career as a Houston Police Officer. He always wanted to be a police officer growing up but lost sight of that goal as he got older. Until one day when Vo was the victim of an armed robbery. He wanted to prevent that helpless feeling he felt and help others in the community, so he moved to Houston from Tennessee and enrolled in the Houston Police Academy. Cadet Vo will graduate from the police academy this Thursday (Nov 12). That night, his family will be visiting from Tennessee and cheering him on as he walks across the stage. Class 206 will be conducting their graduation ceremony off site from the police academy at Chavez High School, 8501 Howard.
During the American Revolution, many important political discussions took place in the inns and taverns of Philadelphia, including the founding of the Marine Corps. A committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern to draft a resolution calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore. The resolution was approved on November 10, 1775, officially forming the Continental Marines. As the first order of business, Samuel Nicholas became Commandant of the newly formed Marines. Tun Tavern’s owner and popular patriot, Robert Mullan, became his first captain and recruiter. They began gathering support and were ready for action by early 1776. Each year, the Marine Corps marks November 10th with a celebration of the brave spirit which compelled these men and thousands since to defend our country as United States Marines.
Did you know that once you are accepted into the police academy and you begin your first day you are considered an employee. You do not pay us to go through our academy, we pay YOU! Some of the smaller departments require you to attend a private police academy and pay for this academy out of your own pocket before you can apply for their agency. This is not the case with HPD. I know many of my readers know this information already, but lately I have been getting several emails asking about this. HPD offers opportunities that the smaller departments simply can't give you because of their limited size. From riding a horse to flying a helicopter you can do it here at HPD. 
I was pondering what to put on the blog today when my mother called me on my cell phone to tell me that she had just been hit by a live turtle and it dented her car. As I listened to her story in all its glorious detail I started wondering where she was going with it. Did she want to file an accident report on the turtle? She proceeded to tell me that a truck ran over a turtle in the road and threw the turtle in the air at which point the turtle hit her car twice creating two dents in the side of her car. As she was complaining to me about the dents in her car I could not help wondering about the status of the poor turtle. I gently asked "is the turtle alright?"...Silence...
Click Play Above
The call came into the 911 dispatcher: "I don't want to hurt anybody. I'm drunk." And with that, Mary Strey, 49, of Granton, reported herself as a drunken driver about three miles northeast of Neilsville in central Wisconsin.
Clark County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Jim Backus said Monday that Strey's call on October 24, 2009 led deputies to cite her for misdemeanor drunken driving with a blood-alcohol level double the legal limit to drive.
In the 911 call, Strey said she wanted to report a drunken driver and the dispatcher asked if she was behind the suspects vehicle. "I am them," Strey said. She then followed the dispatcher's advice to pull over and turn on her flashers, telling him she had been "drinking all night long."
It was unclear if Strey has hired an attorney yet.
Become a fan of the new HPD Facebook Fan Site. This is great way to show your support and keep up with all the great things that HPD does on a daily basis. If you are a member of Facebook already just click on this link:
