June 30, 2017

 

 


  
Dear Friends and Neighbors:

District G City Council Member Greg Travis was pleased to present the Houston Police Department with 200 Level 4 rifle-resistant ceramic body armor vests as part of his FY2017 Council District Service Fund.

"I just want to tell you Councilman Travis, thank you so much. You know a lot of elected officials talk about they're there for public service and they're there for the police and that first responders matter, but you're putting your words into action through your generous donation" said HPD Chief Art Acevedo.

City Council District G is served by three police command stations which were the ones provided the new vests. Lieutenant Faisal Bashir (Midwest Command) was presented with 64 vests; Captain Michael Faulhaber (Westside Command) was presented with 72 vests; and Captain Tinsley Guinn-Shaver (Central Command) was presented with 64 vests.

Council Member Travis began looking into the purchase of these vests shortly after he witnessed first hand an active shooter situation in the 13200 block of Memorial Dr. over the 2016 Memorial Day weekend.  That incident, while quickly contained by law enforcement officers, resulted in a total of eight shooting victims, including two constables, two suspects, and four citizens, and included the death of one suspect and one citizen. The suspects were armed with high-powered weapons, AR-15s, which are no match for the traditional Kevlar vests worn by most police officers. This was Council Member Travis' motivation to seek out tactical vests that would stop a round from a rifle and to make sure they were provided to our men and women in blue.

Council Member Travis said the officers shouldn't be thanking him, instead their gratitude should go elsewhere. "I'd like to take credit for all of this," Travis said. "It comes out of my council district service fund, but it's the taxpayer's money. I'm just a steward of it so it's the taxpayers that are doing this because they appreciate the police and the police presence."

An HPD Cruiser sustains major damage during the active shooter situation over the 2016 Memorial Day weekend.

 
L-R: HPD Chief of Police Art Acevedo, Council Member Greg Travis, Houston Police Officers Union President Ray Hunt.
 
Thank you to the men and women of the Houston Police Department.
  
____________________________________________________________
  
Greg Travis
Houston City Council Member, District G
900 Bagby, 1st Floor
Houston, TX 77002
  
Mailing:
P.O. Box 1562
Houston, TX 77251-1562
  
Phone: 832-393-3007
Facebook: Like
Twitter: Follow