New sheriff names all-male command

One month into his job as Harris County sheriff, Ron Hickman has filled his roster of top commanders, a new hierarchy marked by one omission: There are no women.

Hickman picked 19 men and also scrapped the role of a liaison for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender inmates and residents, part of a broad-reaching civil rights initiative established by his Democratic predecessor.

When Hickman, a Republican, assumed the helm, he said, "Diversity for diversity's sake is not always effective." In a recent statement, Hickman defended his final team for its vast education, experience and devotion to police work.

The lack of women in leadership roles is worth noting because representation in the top ranks promotes a message about equity, provides role models and boosts morale, said Danielle Flanagan, an instructor of criminal justice at West Texas A&M University who studied women in policing in the Texas panhandle.

While it is common for a new sheriff to assemble a fresh lineup, Hickman's first several assignments prompted fears among deputies and civil rights advocates that he was retreating to a leadership style of a bygone era.

The top advisers in place under the county's first Hispanic sheriff, Adrian Garcia, were two white women, two African- American men, a Hispanic male, an Asian-American man and four white men.

Lack of diversity deplored

When the former constable took over in May, he let several commanders go, and his first eight assignments went to white males, four of whom came with him from Precinct 4.

At that point, J.M. "Smokie" Phillips Jr., the president of the Afro-American Sheriff's Deputy League, said his members were concerned about returning to a previous period of racism and disparity in treatment. Johnny Mata, the presiding officer for the Greater Houston Coalition for Justice, said diversity in law enforcement command in an area as diverse as Harris County demonstrates the sensitivity of the officeholder to serve the community as a whole.

The complete command lineup Hickman unveiled Friday comprises three black men, two Hispanic men and 14 white men - two of whom were brought back from retirement.

The Houston Police Department command, by comparison, has two black females, two black males, two Asian-American males, one Hispanic female, two Hispanic males, one white female and eight white males, said department spokesman Victor Senties.

The sheriff emphasized that his administration collectively possesses 620 years of law enforcement experience, 13 post-graduate degrees, six diplomas from the FBI National Academy, 87 professional certifications, 46 memberships to professional law enforcement and community associations. He noted in a press statement that expertise, qualifications, passion and experience were his top priorities in selecting commanders.

Members of the Harris County Deputies' Organization, the Afro-American deputies group and the Mexican American Sheriff's Organization said they were pleased with the overall caliber of the commanders Hickman chose, but Phillips said he found the lack of women at the top an affront to the many capable women in the department. The sheriff's office currently employs 2,906 men and 1,626 women.

The absence of women in command could make a difference among the rank and file in terms of how commanders respondto the concerns of women on the force, said Jennifer Laurin, a professor of criminal law and procedure at the University of Texas.

"Studies have documented that female police officers continue to experience significant levels of workplace stress, based in part on their status as women," Laurin said. "Whether that comes from sexist remarks or a sense of not belonging or a sense of there being upward boundaries on their opportunities because they don't see women in positions of power, all of those factors can contribute to stress for individuals working in a very stressful job."

Rainbow flag removed

In addition to setting up his command, Hickman has taken some actions that sparked worries among another sector of the community. He instructed his staff to remove a rainbow flag, the symbol of gay rights, from the sheriff's website along with the link to contact the department's liaison for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex community. Intersex refers to individuals born with sexual anatomy that does not correspond to either sex.

The female major who helped design the LGBTI protections and fielded about 50 emails sent via the site since its inception was demoted to captain and transferred to running the training academy.

The sheriff's office said it is streamlining redundancies and the link to the liaison was redundant considering the office has a process for filing complaints, grievances or concerns.

Ryan Sullivan, the spokesman for Hickman's office, said the LGBTI reforms introduced under Garcia remain in effect, and they are covered under the provisions of the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act.

However, Hickman has transferred the responsibilities of this liaison to the executive director of community relations, Edwin Davis.

Lou Weaver, a community member who helped devise and implement the nationally recognized LGBTI policy, said it included employment nondiscrimination training for staff and guidance for housing assignments and conducting body searches that are sensitive to all persons.

Vulnerable community

"By his actions of starting to remove polices put in place by Sheriff Garcia, I would say he's targeting a very vulnerable community that is targeted with violence," said Maverick Welsh, president of Houston GLBT Political Caucus. "The message is, 'You better get back in the closet where you belong.' That is the message of the people who are protecting us."

Chris Busby, former president of Houston's Log Cabin Republicans, is not convinced that is the case. Busby met with the sheriff and Davis, the community relations director, last week to discuss his concerns about the LGBTI liaison.

Busby said he felt hopeful and encouraged by Hickman's open door attitude, and he suggested that anyone with concerns to take them directly to the sheriff.