Published December 07, 2003

GALVESTON, TX — The Sandpiper Cove apartment complex appears to a growing flash point for conflicts between Galveston police and some area residents.

Councilman Booker T. Price, whose district includes the complex near 39th Street and Winnie, is so concerned that he was scheduled last night to ride with police in the area to get a better feel for what’s wrong.

Price said he has received several complaints of police roughing up young men and overreacting with excessive patrol cars and officers when responding to incidents at the complex.

"I saw one of the people," said Price. "He was in pretty bad shape. It didn’t happen one time, but several times (to different people)."

Price said he supported Galveston police, but had an obligation to look into constituent complaints. Price was a Galveston police officer for 31 years.

Kenneth Mack, acting Galveston police chief, said he is working with Price to "find out what the core of the problem is and how best to address it."

There was no available evidence that racism was involved in the conflicts at the complex where a large percentage of residents are African American.

In fact, one African-American man who complained about being mistreated at the complex leveled accusations at an African-American officer.

However, Price, who is black, often points out that not enough African-American police officers are working on the streets of Galveston. In the case of the Sandpiper Cove problems, he said more African-American officers patrolling in the area might help improve relations between police and residents.

Mack, also an African American, when briefly discussing the Sandpiper Cove problems with Price at a recent city council workshop, said if officers treat people "with courtesy and respect" they can do their jobs irrespective of their race.

Those arrested recently included Andre Epps, a Precinct 2 reserve deputy constable. Epps said he was among 12 to 15 people arrested outside the complex in late October.

"They were making arrests for so-called trespassing," said Epps, 23. Epps said his wife was trying to re-park their car at about 3 p.m. when he was confronted by several officers.

"As I walked to my car an officer gave me a gesture to move out of the way and I gave him a gesture back saying I was going to move, but when I got in my car I noticed that my daughter wasn’t wearing a seat belt," said Epps. "So, I turned around and put her seat belt on. But I guess I was taking a little too long; he turned his lights on."

Epps, who was at the complex visiting his niece, said the situation got out of control with officers boxing in his vehicle with patrol cars.

"An officer ran up to my car with his gun drawn, which I didn’t appreciate," said Epps. "I had my wife in the car and my kids in the back seat."

Epps was charged with interfering with a police officer and allowing an unlicensed person to drive a vehicle. Epps, however, said his 24-year-old wife was only re-parking the car because he had not parked it straight before he went to the complex for a few minutes.

Epps said an officer asked him, "‘Why did you give me attitude when I told you to move?’ I said, ‘I didn’t give you attitude. I was simply putting a seat belt on my child.’"

Precinct 2 Constable Terry Petteway, after reviewing Epps’ report of what happened, went to the district attorney’s office asking that it review what happened.

The district attorney’s office later dismissed the interfering with an officer charge because of insufficient evidence. The other misdemeanor charge involving the unlicensed driver remains pending.

Epps said he believes officers were arbitrarily rounding up people that afternoon because they were upset after a patrol car parked at the complex was stolen.

The trespassing arrests, he said, apparently pertained to a list of people who are banned from the complex. Some people, with whom the complex management has had problems with before, are on a list banning them from the property.

However, Epps said officers are going beyond their mission. He said his brother was arrested just a few days ago for trespassing at the complex while going to visit his fiancée.

Epps said his brother isn’t on the ban list. The reserve deputy added that before the most recent arrest, his brother had been unjustly arrested on two other occasions for trespassing at the complex. Epps said all of the charges against his brother have been dropped because he’s not on the list.

Karen Hicks, the on-site manager of the complex, said she welcomes the presence of police because there’s an ongoing problem with illegal drugs in the area.

Hicks, also an African American, said she has received complaints from some tenants that police having been coming onto the complex grounds "for no reason."

"But, I just can’t see police officers coming here for no reason, just all of a sudden just grabbing someone and arresting him without having any reason," she said.

Epps, an African American, didn’t think that racism had anything to do with his arrest. He said the officers were just acting like "bullies." Epps said the officer who held a gun on him was an African-American.

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