Houston Blue: The Story of the Houston Police Department

15. A Sergeant Becomes Chief

162 15 A Sergeant Becomes Chief P olice Chief L. D. Morrison Sr. closed the little-used North Side Police Substation at 1814 Gregg when the new headquarters at 61 Riesner opened in March 1952. He also transferred twenty-one officers, three sergeants and one lieutenant from the Motorcycle Squad to the Safety Division , effectively disbanding the “solos” squad. By May 15, Morrison posted his semi-annual bulletin about politics and the men in blue. The bulletin said that civil service rules prohibited policemen and firemen from taking part in such political activities as making speeches, soliciting votes, passing out literature and writing letters. The rules also protected the men from reprisals for refusing to contribute to political campaigns or to render any political service. One activity that no law affected was the naturally flowing inter-departmental politicking that posed day-to-day distractions for the chief. Even though some ranking officers were dismissed, demoted or chose to resign, some strong followers of B. W. Payne remained to stir the waters of discontent . Morrison did what chiefs before him had always done—he put his loyalists in influential positions and those not so loyal in out-of-the-way assignments in a growing department that now numbered about 600. Captain Hobson G. “Buddy” McGill, a man who experienced one of the most checkered careers in HPD history, was promoted to acting night chief on May 20, 1952, making him the No. 3 man in the department. In earning this promotion, McGill jumped like a checker over his previous boss. He was demoted during the next mayoral administration, only to work his way back up the ladder to serve as police chief under a different mayor.1 Morrison made improvements in overall professionalism by sending Detective Larry Fultz to the University of Chicago for a police and law enforcement seminar whose purpose was to make case studies of racial violence and A Sergeant Becomes Chief 163 determine the role police played in handling racial disharmony. Fultz earned the reputation as another HPD education advocate along with two other rising stars, Harry Caldwell and Jack Heard, a sergeant with a master’s degree.2 In late July, Detective A. R. Duncan, representing the Houston Police Officers Association, requested a $45 monthly raise. The response was cold. Holcombe quoted studies of cities with populations between 300,000 and 900,000, finding that Houston ranked twelfth among twenty-nine cities studied , with a monthly pay base of $280 for a forty-hour work week. He said that Oakland, California had a base of $310 and New Orleans $200. City Controller Roy B. Oakes estimated that $45 pay raises would cost taxpayers $3 million a year. HPD intensified its fight against gambling and other vices and saw reform candidate Roy Hofheinz win the mayor’s job in 1953. Taking office in January 1954, Hofheinz soon saw Morrison as a liability but not because of policy decisions or differences in philosophy. The chief experienced an almost constant back pain caused by a slipped disk. Rumors had circulated that he was addicted to pain medication, or “illegal narcotics” prescribed by his personal physician. Other unfortunate incidents complicated the chief’s professional life. A federal grand jury indicted a captain and a detective on charges related to $75,000 worth of missing drugs from police custody. In addition, enough drug P C L. D. M S., O , –S ,  (HPD A) 164 Houston Blue cases were in the news involving marijuana seizures and heroin that Houston was beginning to gain national recognition for its growing drug problem. Morrison’s personal problem hurt him the most. Embroiled in a controversy that had reached a point that affected his ability to lead the department, Morrison asked the mayor on July 31, 1954 that his resignation be accepted as chief of police just as soon as a successor could be found and sworn in. Mayor Hofheinz tried to change the job of police chief to a public safety commissioner, where one commissioner would be over both the police and fire departments and any other form of emergency services. He would be housed outside the police station and serve primarily as an administrator. Oscar Holcombe had called the job “public safety director.” In theory, the arrangement provided the mayor with more control over the department. He could appoint an outsider completely loyal to him and have oversight of police and fire...