By Joanna Putman
Police1
HOUSTON — Mayor John Whitmire is looking to address the Houston Police Department’s officer shortage by potentially tapping into a younger pool of candidates, the Houston Chronicle reported.
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During a news conference on Aug. 2 introducing new Police Chief Noe Diaz, Whitmire discussed the possibility of recruiting younger cadets to HPD, despite current laws prohibiting those under 21 from carrying a weapon, according to the report.
Whitmire is in talks with lawmakers to explore ways to introduce younger candidates with proper safeguards, training and background checks. He clarified that he seeks to lower the carrying age under “special circumstances,” specifically for police officer cadets, according to the report.
“I want to bring as many qualified people to HPD as possible, and we are going to have to review policy and laws to get that done,” Whitmire said.
Chief Diaz emphasized the importance of recruiting individuals vested in the community.
“We need them,” Diaz said. “This is our home, and who better to fill the ranks than the young people that we have in our community?”
Current Texas law sets the legal age to carry a weapon at 21, but in 2023, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials indicated they would not enforce this after a federal court ruling. Texas law also allows officers to be recruited as young as 18, according to the report. However, HPD’s rules require recruits to be older than 21 upon graduation from the police academy.
Whitmire mentioned that HPD is losing talented high school graduates to the military due to the age requirement, according to the report. The initiative to lower the age requirement is part of broader efforts to bolster HPD’s ranks. Whitmire recently approved a budget amendment to add a sixth cadet class to HPD in 2025.
