Matt Degrood

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Matt Degrood |Sam Kelly

Houston police say it will cost more than $4,000 and take at least 220 days to produce videos of nearly two dozen incidents in which officers called federal immigration agents to the scene of a police response this year. Officials with the Houston Police Department’s records divisionblamed the delay on a backlog. But an expert in the state's open-records law says the agency could be running afoul of the Texas Public Information Act by taking so long to produce information.

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | John Lomax V |Matt Degrood

Harris County, already facing financial headwinds, now must find a way to cover an additional $140 million next year following a Commissioners Court vote to bring deputies to pay parity with the Houston Police Department. And it's not yet clear exactly what county leaders mean by pay parity. The Houston City Council last week approved a $832 million contract with police that will see officers' salaries increase over five years.

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Ryan Nickerson |Matt Degrood |Abby Church

The head of the Houston Police Department has formally rescinded a policy requiring officers to make at least one traffic stop per day, just before a City Council vote that could outlaw such quotas. In a memo to Mayor John Whitmire’s office, Police Chief Noe Diaz said the directive no longer aligns with best practices for patrol work. “Effective immediately, we are rescinding this directive,” Diaz wrote. “New guidance will be distributed to all patrol stations, emphasizing officer discretion.

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Abby Church |Matt Degrood

When George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis under a police officer’s bent knee, it sent shockwaves more than 1,200 miles away in Houston. Floyd grew up in Houston’s Third Ward, and his death sparked not only outcries for change, but soul-searching by city officials who promised to reform the Houston Police Department. That quest for change led to hundreds of pages of ideas from residents, community advocacy groups and Houston City Council members.

2 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Matt Degrood

Despite expending an extra $4 million to add a sixth academy class in 2025, the Houston Police Department is on pace to graduate fewer cadets this fiscal year compared to 2024, which only had five classes. Mayor John Whitmire, police leaders and outside experts all pointed out that despite the tepid start to the year, conditions might soon change with a new union contract guaranteeing big wage hikes to the city’s 5,200 officers.