Houston City Council removed the city’s application for a nearly $150 million Justice Department grant from its agenda for the second consecutive week, ABC13 reported Tuesday. Council Member Amy Peck said the city needs more clarity from the federal government about the parameters attached to the money before accepting it, and the mayor’s office said it is in the process of requesting clarification about the conditions and guidelines of the program.
The money would come from the Justice Department’s Model Cities Initiative, which the department describes as emphasizing common sense policing, proactive policing and increased police activity in high crime areas. The department’s published priorities for the program include directly supporting law enforcement operations, including immigration law enforcement operations. ABC13 reported that most city officials declined to comment and that no new vote date has been set.
Kingwood sits inside Houston city limits, so the council’s decisions on police funding apply to the Lake Houston area neighborhoods inside the city.
This paper reported on September 21 that the item was set to come before the council on Wednesday.
