Harris County Sheriff's Office asks for pay raises for deputies

Push for Harris County deputy pay increase

Harris County deputies are asking for a pay increase. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says the county is falling behind neighboring counties.

HOUSTON - Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is warning that the county could risk losing officers to higher-paying agencies if a pay raise for law enforcement is not put in place. Sheriff Gonzalez called the pay situation urgent and an emergency.

Calls for high pay for deputies

In a press conference on Friday, Sheriff Gonzalez was standing alongside Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Harris County Deputies Organization President Sgt. Jose Lopez, and other deputies of the sheriff's office. Sheriff Gonzalez called on the Harris County Commissioners Court and administrators to work together to find the funds to properly pay law enforcement.

What they're saying:

"We cannot wait any longer to make a more significant investment in the men and women who risk their lives each day to protect ours," said Sheriff Gonzalez. 

Gonzalez noted the sheriff's office is losing their deputies to school district police departments, other agencies, and to the state. 

"Our deputies are angry, disappointed, and tired," said Sargeant Jose Lopez. "We stand while other agencies are receiving substantial raises. We're being asked to do more with less, less support, less staffing, and less pay." 

"We will face an exodus to the highest paying market opportunity in the area," said Commissioner Adrian Garcia of Precinct 2. 

Comparing deputy pay

By the numbers:

Currently, a starting Harris County deputy earns $57,000 a year. That compares to a Houston police officer with a starting salary of $64,000, which is set to increase to $81,000 in July.  Now, Harris County deputies are pushing for equal pay. 

Meanwhile, the starting pay for deputies in other major counties is significantly higher. Deputies in Travis County in Austin start at $70,000, while deputies in Dallas County start at $68,000, and officers in Bexar County in San Antonian start at $61,500. 

While Sheriff Gonzalez hasn’t specified an exact dollar amount for what deputies should be getting paid, he insists the county needs to ensure deputy pay is competitive with other markets. He’s calling on Commissioner's Court and administrators to make deputies pay the number one priority in the next budget cycle. 

Fiery debate at commissioner’s court

The request for higher deputy pay follows a fiery debate at Thursday’s Commissioner's Court meeting between Commissioner Tom Ramsey and County Judge Lina Hidalgo over county needs and the budget for law enforcement. 

"How much of Harris County is non-statutory? It’s over $500 million. So shouldn’t we look at that first, the non-statutory? The things we shouldn’t have to do before we raise taxes?" said Commissioner Ramsey. 

Dig deeper:

Tempers flare between Commissioner, County Judge during deputy pay raise discussion