Houston Police Department pushes for growth as it faces investigation for suspension of more than 260,000 cases

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — When Houston police tossed aside more than 260,000 incident reports, they blamed staff. Now, municipal authorities are looking to expand their ranks.

Sixty-eight cadets became HPD officers Thursday morning. Officials told ABC13 their diploma is a welcome band-aid on a much larger problem.

“Houston, we have a problem,” Mayor John Whitmire said of the department’s staff.

In May, Acting Chief Larry Satterwhite told the Houston City Council that the department had 300 fewer people than in 1998.

“(We’re) short-staffed. We’re in the middle of an incident investigation,” Whitmire said.

Since 2016, the department has shelved more than 260,000 incident reports using an “understaffing” code, meaning crimes including homicides and sexual assaults were not addressed. of no consequence. The matter is currently under investigation.

“I think you’ll see a report (on the investigation) in the next couple of weeks,” said Whitmire, who questioned the possible impact of suspended cases on the department’s data on clearance rates.

According to a department public information officer, HPD is currently short 1,200 officers. However, the department has a budget for five cadet classes each year. Each class is designed for 75 people, which means the department could recruit a maximum of 375 new officers per year.

Council member Julian Ramirez said that on average, no more than 85 percent of cadets graduate from the academy.

Ramirez submitted a budget amendment to add a sixth class of cadets and up to 75 additional officers during the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Ramirez said the additional classroom is expected to cost the city about $4 million. He said $700,000 of that funding could come from the ShotSpotter deal that the city is canceling.

He said additional funds could come from money seized by the department.

“I know asset forfeiture funds are controversial to many Houstonians, but we have them available to us. We should use them,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said if there remained funding gaps, they would be left to the department and the mayor’s staff to resolve.

“It’s not a complete solution to the problem, but it’s part of it and it’s a start,” he said.

The Council is expected to vote on the budget next Wednesday, June 12.

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