Local · Trusted · Free
The Morning Impact — your neighborhood's most important stories, delivered every morning.
The Houston Police Department will decrease its budget allocated to overtime by 22%.
What this means
During a fiscal year 2026-27 budget workshop presentation May 19, HPD Executive Chief Thomas Hardin said that while the budget decreases, it does not mean that overtime itself will decrease in the department.
Hardin said the $832 million police union contract helped with raises, which also means that overtime rates go up by the hour.
“Our overtime spending is down 22% compared to last year, but it's down 27% by hours worked,” Hardin said. “It’s not just the financial amount that’s important, but it’s the number of hours that accounts for that financial amount as well.”
Breaking it down
Hardin said the department will make operational changes in patrol. Patrol officers at seven stations will now work 10 hours for four days instead of eight hours for five days.
“The three days off are showing to have tremendous benefits for our officers, for our staff and our budget,” Hardin said.
They will also overlap shifts longer so that more officers are available during peak hours, which can help decrease overtime. Instead of one-hour shift changes, Hardin said, shift changes overlap by two or three hours now.
“You get fewer late calls because you already have another shift that’s been on for an hour or two,” Hardin said. “It’s not uncommon for you in the last hour of your shift to get one or two calls. If it’s a complicated call, it’s going to take you well over your shift.”
Hardin said a person who started their shift more recently would likely take that call instead.
Another detail
Hardin added that they cannot predict what overtime would be for the upcoming year, but one way they will also save is by not calling people in.
Hardin explained that if an officer calls off or calls in sick, no one replaces them.
“The staffing is done in a manner that assumes that the shift is filled,” he said. “At HPD, if you work in the central division, and you call in sick, we do not call in someone else. Those other officers pick up the slack.”
One more thing
City Council is expected to vote on the proposed city budget in June. FY 2026-27 begins July 1.
