New Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz vows transparency, increased staffing
HOUSTON - A new era is dawning for the Houston Police Department as they welcome a new chief of police. Mayor John Whitmire has appointed J. Noe Diaz as the new top cop in the city. Mayor Whitmire is calling the change a fresh start for HPD.
Friday's press conference was the first time people have heard from the new police chief. He emphasized the need for more staff and recruitment of more officers.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Katy Police Chief J. Noe Diaz will be new chief of Houston Police Department
"It’s going to be a new chapter in our department, and we’re excited to go with it," said Douglas Griffith with the Houston Police Officer's Union.
A new police chief will be leading the law enforcement in the City of Houston. Chief Noe Diaz's resume includes 23 years in law enforcement and 11 years as a Texas Ranger. Diaz is a former Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer. He worked as a Precinct 5 deputy, and a DPS patrol officer. He is a veteran in law enforcement, with his most recent job being the chief of police in Katy.
"This gentleman is the best crime fighter based on his experience, collaboration, and commitment to the job," said Mayor Whitmire.
"My vision is to basically get back to being a servant, a servant leader, working collaboratively with all the other agencies," said Chief Noe Diaz.
This comes as former Police Chief Troy Finner announced his retirement back in May. It happened amid an ongoing investigation into more than 260,000 cases that were suspended due to ‘lack of personnel.’
"No one here is going to hide anything. We’re going to own it. We’re going to make sure it doesn’t happen again and that may require staffing changes," said Chief Diaz.
The new chief comes from leading a staff of less than 100 in Katy to more than 5,000 officers in Houston.
"I think he’s going to be able to overcome the fact that he’s from a smaller department. He has worked for larger departments and with individuals in larger departments," said Griffith.
Mayor Whitmire said the current acting chief, Larry Satterwhite, is being reassigned to the city's Homeland Security Department. If Chief Diaz’s appointment is approved by city council, he will begin his job in Houston on August 14.