Houston City Council approves pay raise for police officers

Houston City Council approves pay raise for police officers

The big pay raise approved Wednesday for Houston police officers has Harris County deputies demanding more money.

HOUSTON - Houston police officers will see a rise in their salaries now that a contract to do so has been approved by the city council.

Houston police pay raise

What we know:

On Wednesday, the Houston City Council approved a contract to increase HPD officers' salaries by about 36% in the next five years.

It was the final step needed for the deal after it was approved by the Houston Police Officer's Union earlier this month.

Houston police pay raise approved by city council

The five-year contract includes salary increases that would rise by about 36% within the next five years.

By the numbers:

HPD pay will start with a 10% increase starting this July, followed by an 8% increase in 2026, 6% in 2027 and 2028, and 6.5% in 2029.

Based on the release, the base pay for a first-year officer will start at $75,000 starting July 1.

Officers would also receive more pay for working weekends or if their shifts start at noon or later. When added to the first-year officer's proposed base pay, these increases would raise the pay to $81,600.

The deal also includes increased patrol pay. That annual increase depends on how long the officer's been on duty.

What they're saying:

Jose Lopez, President of the Harris County Deputies Association said, "Quite frankly they are already considering going to the Houston Police Department. A few minutes ago, I received a text message from one of our sergeants saying he's already filled out about a dozen letters of recommendation for our deputies who want to go to HPD."

What's next:

A press conference will take place on Thursday morning involving all eight elected Harris County Constables to be joined by two Harris County commissioners and law enforcement labor leaders to discuss the importance of appropriately compensating law-enforcement officers in the context of maintaining public safety.