HPD officer earns more than mayor; Chief Hurtt unconcerned
Chronicle reporters Matt Stiles and Steve McVicker report today on an HPD officer whose salary topped that of Mayor White last year:
As a senior officer in the Houston Police Department, William Lindsey Jr. received a salary of about $72,000 last year.
Because he is on the department's DWI Task Force, however, Lindsey's overtime pay put him at an income level rivaling Mayor Bill White and Police Chief Harold Hurtt.
The 27-year HPD veteran grossed more than $100,000 in overtime pay in 2005, and he wasn't the only task force member pulling in a six-figure income.
Two others in the unit, including Lindsey's supervisor, were boosted above the $100,000 income level last year with significant help from overtime pay.
Though police and prosecutors defend the hefty overtime as an effective means of getting drunken drivers off Houston's streets, critics of the practice say many of those hours are an unnecessary expense that increases the risk of putting physically and mentally fatigued officers on duty.
Lindsey's total income of more than $172,576 from HPD last year put his pay above White's $165,000 but below Hurtt's $184,000. The mayor and police chief are not eligible for overtime pay.
Among the other task force members with six-figure incomes in 2005 was Lindsey's supervisor, Sgt. Edward Robinson, whose $76,055 in overtime pay boosted his overall compensation to $161,722.
Given the previous reporting by Stiles on the HPD bonus program for mechanics, this is not terribly surprising. However, one does wonder about the financial management and accountability at HPD.
Hurtt, who learned about the high overtime pay after Chronicle inquiries, said he doesn't worry about the public's perception of the spending.
Apparently, he's more worried about truly important matters for HPD -- new badges, cameras for Tasers, red-light cameras, renegade downtown pedestrians, crimefighting by acronym, and our very favorite, the Fear Reduction Initiative.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/23/06 10:47 PM | Print |
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