More than a year after Mayor John Whitmire lamented Houston police cadets having to purchase their own firearms, 64 graduates of the academy this month will be the first to receive a $1,000 stipend for weapons.
The Houston Police Foundation is providing the funding for the stipend to each of the academy classes to graduate in 2025, according to Mary Benton, spokeswoman for the mayor's office.
Doug Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, said the stipend will make a big difference for the cadets, with a new firearm costing between $800 and $900 plus tax.
While touting the measure as a fix for the problem of cadets having to purchase their own weapons, Griffith said they still would have to purchase the firearms upfront because they don't qualify for the stipend until graduation.
Cadets are required to purchase firearms when they enter the academy. An official with the police department said officers eventually receive $2,000 per year for an equipment stipend that can reimburse them for the cost of the weapon, but that comes after about a year on the job.
New cadets also qualify for a $10,000 hiring incentive, paid out in installments, with the first $2,500 coming when someone enters the academy. That money can be used for anything, including purchasing a firearm.
Major police departments nationwide vary in the firearm policies. Some departments provide weapons, others allow officers to purchase their own, Griffith said. Houston is one of the few to require officers to purchase their own firearm and stipulate what they can buy.
Whitmire first brought up the fact that cadets purchase their own weapons not long after taking over as Houston's mayor in January 2024. At the time, he said he would try to identify sponsors to pay for the firearms.
___
(c)2025 the Houston Chronicle
Visit the Houston Chronicle at www.chron.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
