HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston Mayor John Whitmire is in a public dispute with Councilman Edward Pollard over the city’s response to Hurricane Beryl.
At a news conference today, Whitmire and acting Houston Police Chief Larry Satterwhite condemned Pollard’s comments about the death of an HPD employee.
Pollard, speaking to after Wednesday’s city council meeting, said, “We were not fully mobilized. We were having our officers come in on the day of the storm and on the morning of the storm putting those lives at risk.” He referenced Russell Richardson, a 54-year-old information security officer for Houston police, who tragically drowned in floodwaters on his way to work the morning Hurricane Beryl struck.
Initially planning to address Pollard’s comments at the next council meeting, Whitmire decided the remarks were too harmful to both the Richardson family and the city’s first responders.
“He can’t get away with misinforming the public that perhaps had we been better prepared, Russell Richardson would still be alive,” Whitmire stated.
HPD clarified that Richardson, a civilian and tier-one employee, was expected to come to work on the day of the storm but to proceed with caution.
“On that day, on that Monday, Russell looked across and said, ‘I need to be there. I need to get in. I can help. I can make a difference,'” Satterwhite explained.
In response to the press conference, Pollard issued a statement to expressing condolences to the Richardson family and defending his remarks. “My comments were solely focused on the logistics of mobilizing our officers a day earlier to ensure their safety and readiness before Hurricane Beryl hit. I hold the utmost respect for our officers and all first responders. At no point have I cast blame on any individual, and I refuse to politicize this tragic event for personal gain.”
Satterwhite maintained that personnel were positioned both overnight and the morning of the storm. “If we made a mistake, I would be the first one to admit it. The buck stops with me, but in this case and in this storm, we were prepared.”
Whitmire added, “Every storm is different. We mobilized when we needed to, but you don’t want your officers to burn out. They have families.” He suggested Pollard should focus on CenterPoint Energy’s slow restoration efforts, which faced criticism after the storm left over 2 million customers without power.
“It is unfortunate that an elected official would confuse CenterPoint’s lack of preparation with the city’s response because nothing could be further from the truth,” Whitmire said.
Whitmire, who has not spoken to Pollard since the comments were made, believes the attack was aimed at his administration but instead hurt first responders and the Richardson family. He consulted Richardson’s wife before the press conference, noting she was “devastated” by the narrative.
