Mayor Turner, Chief Finner meet with President Biden to discuss increased crime in Houston

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Chief Troy Finner with the Houston PD made a trip to the White House Friday to discuss public safety in communities challenged by rising crime. 

While at the White House, Mayor Turner highlighted the One Safe Houston plan, a multimillion-dollar initiative to fight crime. The funds for that were made possible by the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package passed in 2021. Now, President Joe Biden is calling on cities and states to boost spending on public safety. 

According to a press release, President Biden praised Mayor Turner for his effective use in investing the funds. 

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"I thanked the president for the federal funding, and I assured him we were using it wisely. Listening to President Biden today, it is clear that his administration is paying attention to our success in Houston using ARP to reduce violent crime," said Mayor Turner. "The results speak for themselves. Crime is going down in Houston, and they have taken note of that nationally. We want the people of the city of Houston to feel safe."

"I thought it was a positive meeting," Chief Finner added. "Houston is focusing on violent crime, boosting mental health response and how we address the issue of domestic violence- DART) which unfortunately can have fatal consequences." 

"One Safe Houston is how you reduce crime. It is not solely left up to the police. One Safe Houston is a holistic plan, and the ARP funds are certainly helping us in the city of Houston," the chief added.