Cadets at the Houston Police Department will see their first pay bump in close to 10 years, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced at a Monday news conference.
The raise, which will take cadets from $42,000 per year to $52,000 per year, is intended to help HPD address staffing concerns amid an increasingly competitive market. A one-time incentive payment of $5,000 is also guaranteed for officers who graduate and receive their certification, bringing their total compensation to $57,000.
Speaking before a class of HPD cadets, Whitmire said the raise is long overdue.
"This is still not appropriate for your commitment to public service and willingness to put your life on the line," Whitmire said. "But it's a step in the right direction to let men and women across the state, the nation and this great city know we want them to become a Houston police officer."
Once an officer graduates from the police academy and completes a six-month probationary period, their pay is raised further. A 2022 agreement between the city and the Houston Police Officers' Union set the salary for new officers at $62,574.
Cadets last saw a pay hike in 2015, when the department raised starting salaries from $32,000. While the recent raise, which amounts to a 36% salary increase with the incentive, brings HPD closer to the starting pay offered by the San Antonio Police Department, it still falls short of the amount offered to new officers in Dallas, who receive a base pay of $70,000.
The announcement came several months after law enforcement officials called on city leaders to expand HPD's recruiting efforts and take steps to make the department a more competitive choice for new officers. Former Police Chief Troy Finner said HPD would need to hire an additional 2,000 officers to meet the city's demand.
Even with the raise, recruitment remains a concern. Newly-appointed Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz asked the cadets gathered Monday to spread the word about the department's staffing shortages.
"So for us, this is a once-in-a-generation mayor for the police department and the fire department as well," Diaz said. "So if you're going home tonight, call your brothers, call your cousins, your family, your neighbors, this is an outstanding organization. Even if they want to be firefighters, we're public safety, we're still brothers."
Whitmire also emphasized that the city had turned over a new leaf in the way it handled law enforcement. He drew a comparison between HPD and the Austin Police Department, saying the Austin District Attorney's prosecution of police officers had discouraged them from enforcing the law.
"They do their job, follow the law, follow their training. They're getting in trouble in Austin," Whitmire said. "I know for a fact that there's some chatter in the Austin Police Department — understaffed, under-resourced and they have a very aggressive DA that sometimes goes to lengths to, what he would say, 'hold officers accountable.'"
Whitmire said that the scrutiny of officers in Austin had cultivated an attitude where police choose not to intervene in certain situations for fear of being disciplined.
Houston, Whitmire said, under the leadership of himself and Diaz, would take every step necessary to ensure its officers feel supported by the city and the communities they represent. Whitmire added that, while the city would support its officers, it was their duty to treat residents with respect and professionalism.
"The model we want in Houston is law enforcement, protect the public, protect yourself, your family," Whitmire said. "When you pull somebody over, I believe it's your duty to treat that person like a family member. And there's going to be fools. There'll be some violent people, people and mental health issues, people on drugs. You're going to have to use force to protect yourself ... but treat people the way you'd like to be treated."
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