Houston Police Asked To Stop Using Whataburger Table Markers At Crime Scenes

So this is what they do with them after they seize them huh pic.twitter.com/sUSNRJDdq5

— Numi (@numairlatif) August 10, 2017

There is nothing more Texan than finding Whataburger table markers at a crime scene. Sadly, at least in Houston, that practice may now be coming to an end.

welcome to texas pic.twitter.com/4HvqiCTAk7

— olivia (@livt33) August 10, 2017

Apparently, Cops in Houston have been asked to stop utilizing the numbered signs from Whataburger to mark evidence due to public pressure. According to the Houston Chronicle, this practice has developed because police officers themselves do not carry official evidence signs. Since they tend to arrive ahead of the local CSI units, cops use whatever they can get their hands on to preemptively mark evidence. This prevents anything from washing or blowing away and getting lost before crime scene units arrive to mark it themselves.

A case recently gave this practice national attention when officers used the Whataburger numbers to mark evidence at a local shooting. For the cops, it made sense for them since a Whataburger was nearby and they could use it until CSI units arrived. Unfortunately, the Houston Police Department received several calls following the incident asking them if Whataburger was sponsoring the department. To clear up that confusion, Houston cops can no longer use material as evidence markers at crime scenes, including the Whataburger table markers.

Houston police have unfortunately lost one of their crime scene staples as a result. However, we do have confirmation that unlike most of Texas, they did return the Whataburger signs after using them.