HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston Mayor John Whitmire said on Tuesday that the city has rescinded its application for a federal grant that would have brought in nearly $150 million for public safety.<\/p>\n
ABC13 first reported last month that the city had submitted the application as part of the Department of Justice’s Model Cities Initiative.<\/p>\n
The Department of Justice said the initiative is meant to emphasize common-sense, proactive policing, in addition to increasing police activity in high-crime areas.<\/p>\n
Whitmire said in a statement that the city withdrew its application for two reasons.<\/p>\n
He said one “error” was that the application was submitted to the Department of Justice without approval from City Council.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the effort to ensure the application was submitted on time, staff prematurely submitted it before the required council approval was secured,” Whitmire said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Whitmire also said there was no clear understanding of what the city needed to do to receive the funds.<\/p>\n
Councilwoman Amy Peck told ABC13 in September that the money would have made a difference for public safety in Houston.<\/p>\n
“The city desperately needs this money,” said Peck at the time. “It’s over $148 million for various items related to public safety, such as reducing violent crime, reducing teen violence, and domestic violence.”<\/p>\n
Peck told ABC13 at that time that voting on the application was removed from the council’s agenda twice because the governing body wanted to learn more about the initiative.<\/p>\n
“It’s just helpful to know what the parameters are and what the expectations are from the City of Houston,” Peck said during that interview.<\/p>\n
To accept the funds, the Department of Justice said the city would have had to align with the department’s priorities.<\/p>\n
Two of those priorities included directly supporting law enforcement operations, including those related to immigration, as well as combating violent crime.<\/p>\n