Deputy813

In Harris County (Houston, Texas) Reserve Deputies do everything that regular officers do including SWAT, Fugitive Warrant, etc. They put in a minimum of 20 hours per month though most frankly do it like an unpaid second job with 30+ hours per week. By and large, they are every bit as competent as full time LEOs. We'll have to agree to disagree here though I certainly can appreciate your perspective on the matter.

That's pretty true as well. In Texas, they're mostly fined or told to leave where ever they've set up, and orders are given to destroy the myriad of admittedly fairly complex shelters they build under overpasses (anyone who's driven Katy Freeway past Gessner and Addicks y'all know exactly what I'm talking about).

Houston LEO here. Can confirm, the city does frequently treat the mentally ill and homeless community with a cruelty which I find appalling. There are a lot here, and most of them are actually good people but catch the rap for a lot of things that they probably didn't do. I do my best to be different, but you're correct, sir.