Law enforcement agencies seek to fill openings: 'It’s for the safety of the public'

The Houston Police Department (HPD) and the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office (FBCSO) are among the numerous law enforcement agencies in Texas struggling to fill vacancies among their ranks, according to a report from Houston NBC affiliate KPRC.

Aside from making consistent hires, the departments are experiencing problems with retention, the station reported.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan cited salary as a reason for an increase in openings within his office, telling the station that it needs more dispatchers and detention officers, KPRC reported.

A first-year patrol deputy takes home $51,000 annually, according to Fagan.

“It may take a bond issue to do this,” the sheriff told KPRC. “It may cost the taxpayers more on their taxes, but it’s for the safety of the public.”

One of the largest police departments in the U.S., HPD seeks to fill its staff quota of about 6,400, KPRC reported.

HPD Commander Kristine Anthony Miller told the station that law enforcement is receiving competition from other industries in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic factoring negatively on its hiring efforts.

According to KPRC, HPD has lots of openings in its emergency operations sector, with the agency down 21 dispatchers.

“It is really and truly the linchpin that needs to happen for all of our work to happen,” HPD Assistant Chief Milton Martin told the station.

The station reported that HPD will host a hiring event at Discovery Green on Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Click here to learn more about the event, which will have recruiters on site.