Sugar Land

Elgin Police Chief Lisa Womack was hired away from Sugar Land Texas (SW of Houston) two years ago.

Lo and behold, she just named her new Public Information Officer…..Ann Dinges from….Sugar Land Texas. No comments were made in the press about a possible connection.

Surely Womack needs a spokesman, someone who is better able to speak in soundbites than the chief herself. I certainly hope Dinges has that talent.

Here are some examples of Lisa-isms:
“We have been provided with no documents that prove legal residency.” This after more than a week of investigating the triple fatality van crash on Kimball Street. Let’s see here. She didn’t have a license, she didn’t speak English, and the van wasn’t insured. Of course you didn’t receive any documents of legal residency…THERE AREN’T ANY!

"Being a member of a gang is not unlawful.” Sounds like an excuse, not a comforting thing to tell the public in response to the gang wars in Elgin.

“Throughout Elgin, there has been a steady decline in felony gang activity.” Well, you wouldn’t know it from the bullets flying in July, August, and September.

"What occurred on Saturday was happenstance, folks.” See above. Hard to believe after a summer of gang shootings.

"There is never an acceptable homicide rate. Zero is the only acceptable number when it comes to this rate." Now there is sound police policy.

"It's not about the neighborhood; it's about specific people.” But chief, all six of these incidents happened in an area a mile wide and 1 ½ miles deep. (FYI, the police station is within the box as well.)

“Despite these incidents, violent crime, including those connected to known gang members, is still down in 2007.” Save it, chief. We aren’t the ones evaluating you for a raise.

So, we hope Officer Dinges is allowed to share with us substantial information about what happened and what is being done to address the crime problems in our city. My advice is that she keep the chief and most street commanders away from reporters.