The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 68, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 18, 1990 Page: 1 of 18
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Your
Hometown
Paper
MORE THAN 70,000 READERS EVERY DAY
Volume 68, No. 68.
Telephone Number: 422-8302
Thursday, January 18, 1990
Baytown, Texas 77520
25 Cents Per Copy
Henscey: Increase police force
By JANE HOWARD
In die wake of a 31 percent
increase in the number of major
crimes in Baytown, Police Chief
Wayne Henscey said the city
needs more
police officers.
Year-end
statistics show
the po licet
department’s
arrest, case!
clearance and'
property recov-
ery rates are up.
These increases
can be attri- wayne henscey
buted in part to
an increase in officer workloads.
“We’re doing more with what
we’ve got,” Henscey said.
Henscey said police are
“working priority cases where
they’ve got leads and can get the
most done.”
“The guys are working,” he
said, “but I’d like to have
several more of them out there
working.”
According to Henscey, cities
employ an average of 2.5 offic-
ers per 1,000 population. By
that standard, Baytown’s police
department is understaffed by at
least 76 officers, considering the
1990 census is expected to show
the city has a population of
70,000. Currently, Baytown has
only 99 officers when operating
at full strength.
“In a metropolitan area such
as we’re in, we need at least two
officers for every 1,000 Bay-
town citizens,” Henscey said.
“We should have at least 140
officers.”
Henscey said he would like to
see the city add five or six
officers every year until the size
of the force is nearer the nation-
al average.
Baytown’s police chief attri-
butes the rising crime rate to
several factors, including a
saturated judicial system, over-
crowded prisons and the
increased prevalence of drugs in
Baytown.
The number of juveniles
taken into Custody increased
more than 57 percent in 1989 in
comparison to figures for the
previous year.
“I’d say drugs are responsible
for the majority of that,” Hens-
cey said. “In fact, 75 to 80
percent of everything we (the
police) do is essentially drug-
related.”
Henscey also said the crimi-
nal justice system “is saturated
right now and it just doesn’t
seem like we’re getting much
done. Juvenile courts are
bogged down just like the adult
courts are.”
Last year, Baytown police
broke up several burglary rings
composed of juveniles, accord-
ing to Henscey.
“They’ve burglarized homes,
schools and churches,” he said,
“and they seem to have had a
run on breaking into automo-
biles over the last year.”
Henscey said, “It’s up to
parents to keep those juveniles
off the streets.”
Police are seeing many of the
same offenders, both juveniles
and adults, again and again.
Henscey said there are a large
number of people living in the
city who are either on parole or
probation.
“It’s refreshing to our troops
to arrest someone who doesn’t
have any type of record and who
isn’t out on bond. They’re few
and far between.”
Henscey said one reason for
the high number of repeat offen-
ders is prison overpopulation
and the resulting overcrowding
at the Harris County Jail.
Convicted criminals are also
serving an average of only one
month for every year of their
sentences, and because of over-
loaded court dockets, alleged
criminals remain free while
awaiting disposition of their
cases.
“We have a sheriff who
■ doesn’t know from one minute
to the next whether he’ll have to
release all the misdemeanor
offenders and only put felonies
in jail because he doesn’t have
anywhere to put people.
“And it seems like they
accept by appointment only at
the penitentiaries,” Henscey
said.
A state prison facility being
constructed in Dayton will offer
beds to some of those prisoners
but Henscey said one more
prison Just won’t solve the
problem.
“It’s kind of like band-aid
surgery.”
WRECK VICTIM TREATED
BAYTOWN EMERGENCY Medical Service attendants J.D. lion of Gresham and North Pruett. Ms. Romo was treated ana
Moss, left, and Jim Laird prepare Ana Isabel Romo, 28, of released from the hospital. See details in Police Beat on rag
Baytown for transport to San Jacinto Methodist Hospital af- 2-A. ,
ter a traffic accident late Wednesday morning at the intersec- (Sun staff photo by Angie nracey;
Lewis to talk
at banquet in
W. Chambers
Gib Lewis, speaker of the
Texas House of Representa-
tives, will be the keynote speak-
er at the sixth annual West
Chambers County Chamber of
Commerce awards banquet
Tuesday.
A social hour is scheduled for
6 p.m. at Texas Bank, 9118
Highway 146,
in Mont Bel-
vieu. The ban-
quet will start at
7 p.m. at the
McLeod Park
Pavilion, 10715]
Langston Drive,
in Mont Bel-
vieu. Tickets
are $15 each.
Lewis, 53, will speak on
Texas legislative issues.
A native of Oletha in Limes-
tone County, Lewis graduated
from Geveland High School in
1955. Before joining the U.S.
Air Force, he attended Sam
Houston State Teachers Col-
lege, and continued his studies
at Texas Christian University
while assigned to Carswell Air
Force Base in Fort Worth.
Lewis became chairman of:
the House Committee on Natur-
al Resources in 1973. Over 17
years, he helped get numerous
bills through his committees and
through the Legislature.
He was instrumental in the
passage of the education reform
act, House Bill 72, and helped
write a 1981 law to crack down
on game law violators.
In his spare time, Lewis
enjoys hunting exotic wildlife.
His wife, Sandra, enjoys hunting
with her husband and is consid-
ered an excellent marksman.
Lewis has been honored
numerous times for his wildlife
conservation efforts both as a
private citizen and as a lawmak-
er. ----- - - ---------
His conservation interests are
perhaps best indicated by his
exotic game ranch, the “S03.”
Speciniens of rare sheep and
deer; emu, llamas, buffalo and
even a zebra roam the 600-acre
ranch, located on the northern
reaches of the Texas Hill Coun-
try.
Pearce Street Journal - -
Far-sighted
We heard about the pa-
tient who went to see a
new and high-powered eye
doctor who strengthened
his sight so much the pa-
tient could see into the
future.
-FH
More than 32,000
eligible to vote
g”town
EUGENE CHEATHAM is
recovering from surgery at home
and can have visitors . . .
Tonya Madison shares a photo-
graph . . . Angelia Mendenhall
is a new champion fajita cooker.
Jana Dudley helps her hus-
band install a new tool box . v .
Pamn Weaver retrieves her tap
shoes.
Wendell Wright talks about
moving furniture . . . Paul
Touchet is a great movie maker
. . . Chris Warford will sing at
the drop of a hat.
Jean Prigmore hosts a meet-
ing .. . Lisa White is testing
her leotards at rehearsals ...
Glena Pfennig finds the
answers.
Peggy Jones shows her rock
and carrot collection . . . Paul
Schaffer shows his son Marshall
how to stay calm while deer
hunting . . . Peggy Gentry is
home from her long hospital
A total of 32,825 people will
be eligible , to vote in the Bay-
town school trustee election Sa-
turday, Election Clerk Judi
Craig said.
Three of the four races for
positions on the board are con-
tested. The contest for Position
4, which is being vacated by
Trustee Jim Maple, has drawn
the most candidates.
Vying for Position 4 Are A1
Raneri, 56, who is retired from
the U.S. Air Force; Steve Ar-
thur, 39, a maintenance superin-
tendent; Dr. Mike Fulton, 37, a
dentist; and Olivia Messiah, 54,
3 retired teacher and funeral
home owner.
Position 5 incumbent Martha
Mayo is the only candidate who
does not face any opposition,
Mayo, 54, director of public in-
formation at Sterling Municipal
Library, was elected a year ago
to complete the unexpired term
of David Smith.
Incumbents Wanda Ellis and
Manuel Escontrias each face one
opponent in their contests.
For Position 6, Mrs. Ellis, 61,
a retired teacher and counselor,
is opposed by Kenneth McRay,
41, an industrial sales manager.
For Position 7, Stuart Turn-
bull, 42, a security supervisor is
opposing Escontrias, 45, a
chemical engineer.
,, The polls will be open from 7
a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day. A
total of 266 absentee votes were
cast. In the 1989 board election,
830 absentee votes were
recorded.
Exxon: Allegations unfounded
Allegations made by Tex;
Exxon’s Baytown facilities are being called
“unfounded” by Exxon officials.
According to Rick Abraham, director of
Texans United, a public interest group, samples
ixans United against reported the presence of 8.6 percent oil while
.....the Texas Water Commission’s sample showed
2.7 percent oil in the sediment.
Abraham said the Texas Water Commission
did not test for benzene or other toxic chemi-
texans unnea, a puoiic uueiesi giuuj;, aaiupica uui------
of sediment and water were taken by the Texas cals as Texans JJnked had requested.
Water Commission at Exxop’s outfall canal to Emb
the Houston Ship Channel.
The analysis results, disclosed Wednesday,
showed high concentrations of toxic chemicals,
including cancer causing benzene and poljTiu-
clear aromatics, according to a Texans United
press release. \ \
“We cannot comment on the specific sample
which Texans United alleges was taken on
Exxon property near our stoim water outfall as
Embry said Exxon’s water meets rigorous
permit requirements established by the Texas
Water Commission. - .
Texans United also took sediment samples in
the Houston Ship Channel, in front of Exxon’s
discharge point. The same type of substances
were found in the sample taken in the ship
channel except the concentrations were lower,
Abraham said.
Embry explained that the outfall canal is
we have n^itiformation on the location, tipring, used only in periods, of excessive rainfall,
quality or nature of the sample,” said Ron ' typically thrQe to fow ^es^r yearj^enthe
- ’.
Embry, public relations coordinator
Exxon’s Baytown Refinery.
Texans United has now asked the Texas
Water Commission to require Exxon to dean
ttic c<ui<il
Texans United’s analysis of the sediment
lypicauy1 uirga ro row uincs uci yzcu wuui
capacity of the company’s 140 million gallon
stormwater impounding facilities is exceeded.
He reported the storm water outfall discharge
has exceeded the Texas Water Commission oil
and grease restriction once in the past two
years.
Bond funds earmarked for renovations
City Council has redesignated $102,500 in 1981
bond funds for renovation of existing facilities.
In the original bond issue, $56,000 of these
funds were designated for park land acquisition
near Gentry Junior School while $46,500 was
earmarked for park land acquisition near Crockett
Elementary School.
City Manager Bobby Rountree told City Coun-
cil recently the five-acre Barkuloo Park has
already been developed near Crockett Elementary
School while Gentry Junior School has ,75-80
acres and part of this land could be used for a
park- ' ^
Council agreed to redesignate these funds for
the following projects:
—Replacement of hurricane-damaged lighting
at the Gray Sports Complex at a cost of $15,000.
—Renovation and improvements to the Bicen-
tennial Park Amphitheater at a cost of $17,000.
—Replacement and improvement of outfield
fences at four adult softball fields for $52,000.
' —Renovation of Roseland Park boat launching
facilities for $6,000.
—Extension of sanitary sewer service to
Republic of Texas Plaza/North Main property at a
cost of $12,500.
SUN DIAL
Classified.............5-6-B
Comics/Crossword.......6-A
Dimension...
Dining Guide
Editorial.....
Markets.....
Movies......
Obituaries ...
Police Beat..
School menus
Sports.......
Teen Times..
Television
Television
7-A
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7-B
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8-A, 2-3-B
7-B
7-B
WEATHER
THURSDAY NIGHT: 60 per-
cent chance of rain, low in
mid-60s. Friday: Rainy, low in
mid-60s, high in 70s.
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Brown, Leon. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 68, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 18, 1990, newspaper, January 18, 1990; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1044058/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.