Houston Mayor Announces Landmark Five-Year Contract with Police Union
Mayor John Whitmire joined the Houston Police Officers’ Union (HPOU) and Police Chief J. Noe Diaz today to unveil the details of a transformative five-year contract agreement with the union. The contract includes significant increases in starting salaries for new officers, pay raises for experienced officers, and substantial investments in the Houston Police Department’s (HPD) recruitment and retention strategies.
Mayor Whitmire hailed the agreement as a recognition of the hard work and sacrifice of Houston police officers, making HPD more competitive with police departments across the state.
The contract outlines the following salary increases over the next five years:
- July 2025: 10% Increase
- July 2026: 8% Increase
- July 2027: 6% Increase
- July 2028: 6% Increase
- July 2029: 6.5% Increase
- More salary information is available here.
Effective July 1, 2025, a first-year police officer in Houston would earn $81,600, in addition to shift and weekend differentials. Furthermore, patrol pay for officers with at least two years of seniority will see a significant annual increase from $600 to $1600.
“This is going to improve public safety. In any job, morale matters, particularly when putting your life on the line. Morale is good in HPD, which will help it reach an all-time high,” said Mayor Whitmire. “We all have the same goal to thank our rank-and-file police officers who go to work every day and have been underpaid and underappreciated by the city for many years. This is a huge step of showing our appreciation to them for putting their lives on the line to protect and serve Houstonians.”
HPOU President Doug Griffith echoed the Mayor’s sentiment, stating, “They (officers) go out there daily and do the job. It is truly a calling for most of us, and I want to applaud them because, without them and their hard work, we would not be here today. I also want to thank Mayor Whitmire. He has stepped up, stopped the city from kicking the can down the road, and worked hard to get us where we need to be as an organization. I also want to thank the negotiating team. The citizens of Houston have truly stepped up and supported this organization better than any city in this state, and we’re blessed to be here.”
Police Chief J. Noe Diaz expressed his gratitude for the Mayor’s leadership and support, calling the contract “generational and life-changing” for HPD officers and future cadets. “It recognizes the men and women at the Houston Police Department are charged with protecting the fourth largest city in the nation and pays them accordingly,” Chief Diaz said. “It will help us recruit new officers and retain the ones who have already dedicated themselves to this city, its residents, and our profession. If you are considering a career in law enforcement, have a heart for public service, and care about your community, please consider HPD.”
Negotiating teams for the city and HPOU engaged in several months of discussions to reach the agreement. The police officers’ union, representing 5,200 officers, will begin its membership vote on the contract on Monday, May 5. Following approval by the union members, the contract will be presented to the Houston City Council.
HPD Executive Chief Thomas Hardin emphasized the long-term impact of the contract, stating, “This is a monumental generational contract for our police department that will continue for a long time. Our compensation package for our younger officers has been choking our ability to recruit and retain. We have people who leave routinely to go to other departments when they have five years or less with HPD. Because of this contract, and thanks to the mayor and his team and our support from the City Council and the citizens of Houston, we will change that. We deserve to be paid like the fourth largest city in the country and the fifth largest police department.”
Mayor Whitmire is scheduled to unveil details of his administration’s proposed FY 26 balanced budget next Tuesday, May 6, which will include information on how the HPOU contract and other city services will be funded.
