HPOU president says Houston needs more police officers

According to the Houston Police Department, 13 people were shot over the weekend and four people were killed.

The president of the Houston Police Officers' Union Joe Gamaldi says the city does not have enough officers on the streets.

Gamaldi says the department needs to be on par with a growing city that will soon be third largest in the country.

Gamaldi says the Houston Police Department has about 5,200 officers currently, which he says is at least 1,200 officers short for a city of this size.

Right now, he claims, it takes roughly six and a half minutes for an officer to respond to a serious crime, and even cutting that time by just 30 seconds could mean the difference between life and death.

Gamaldi also pointed the finger at Houston District Attorney Kim Ogg's office, claiming their decisions put violent criminals back on the streets and increases HPD's workload.

"We’re out there, going out, catching these people with guns, these dirt bags that are out there trying to harm innocent people. We’re locking them up, and guess what?," Gamaldi asked on Isiah Factor Uncensored. "They’re getting deferred adjudication, no jail time, while robbing people with a gun. Or they’re a felon in possession of a firearm. They’re getting deferred adjudication, getting slaps on the wrist."

Gamaldi says an agreement with the city would have them at about 5,500 officers in a few years, but he said that's still not enough.