Houston Police Department searching for new recruits

HOUSTON - The Houston Police Department is on a quest to recruit new officers. On Saturday, the department held a hiring expo to assist in increasing their staff numbers.

"We want the very best people in the very best city in the country to work as policemen," said HPD Chief Noe Diaz.

When Chief Diaz was sworn into his position in mid-August, he said staff recruitment was going to be a top priority during his tenure.

"Staffing both uniform services and our civilian staffing. We have some shortages there, which cause a lot of our backups," said Diaz.

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That's why Chief Diaz is holding events like the HPD hiring expo.

"To expose these potential applicants to the academy, other divisions, great divisions to see like mounted, K-9," said Le Conn, a commander for the Houston Police Department.

The Houston Police Department currently has 5,200 staff members, but the department wants to increase that number to 6,500.

"The police department doesn’t stop, so if a civilian is not in a position, I actually have to bring in a police officer to perform that function," said Diaz.

"So that’s a huge undertaking, right. Especially nowadays, as it’s a little more difficult to get candidates in. That’s why we have these type of expos," said Conn.

The Houston Police Department will be holding more hiring expos in the spring and fall of 2025.