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Houston Police Department, Texas, 2011
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Houston Police Department are public records under the Texas Public Information Act.[1]
Salaries
According to The Texas Tribune, the Houston Police Department had a total of 6,575 employees at an annual combined salary cost of $356,525,297 in 2011.[2]
- The average salary was $54,224.
- The median was $55,870.
- The highest salary was $211,150 for Charles A. McClelland, the Police Chief.
- The lowest salary was $21,855.
- There were there employees earning over $150,000 a year.
The following table outlines the top 10 salaries in 2011:[3]
| Name | Title | Department | Hire date | Annual salary | Entity |
| Charles A Mcclelland | Police Chief | Police | 5/23/1977 | $211,150 | Houston |
| Joseph A Fenninger | Deputy Director-Finanace Administration (Exe Lev) | Police | 2/1/2007 | $183,504 | Houston |
| David Jay Morgan | Deputy Director-Finanace (Exe Lev) | Police | 7/31/2009 | $174,683 | Houston |
| Martha I Montalvo | Executive Assistant Police Chief | Police | 1/28/1980 | $147,862 | Houston |
| Timothy N Oettmeier | Executive Assistant Police Chief | Police | 6/11/1973 | $147,862 | Houston |
| Dennis J Storemski | Deputy Director-Finanace Administration (Exe Lev | Police | 11/8/1965 | $144,931 | Houston |
| Larry Joe Yium | Deputy Director (Exe Lev) | Police | 7/20/1977 | $143,425 | Houston |
| Kirk A Munden | Executive Assistant Police Chief | Police | 1/12/1981 | $140,737 | Houston |
| Michael A Dirden | Executive Assistant Police Chief | Police | 10/14/1985 | $140,737 | Houston |
| Irma Rios | Assistant Director (Exe Lev) | Police | 10/20/2003 | $135,484 | Houston |
Benefits
Employees receive the following benefits:[4]
- Subsidized health insurance with optional dental insurance
- 35 paid days off after first year
- Pension plan
- Supplement retirement plans
- Deferred compensation plans
- Possible college tuition exemptions
Employees receive an educational bonus based on educational achievement status:[5]
| Bachelor's degree * | $3,640 |
| Master Degree * | $6,240 |
| Doctorate Degree * | $8,840 |
Phone use
As of May 5, 2011 the Houston Police Department reported having 1,142 cell phones issued.[6]
Car use
As of May 5, 2011 the Houston Police Department reported having 586 take-home vehicles issued, although the number varies by day.[7]
Salary records project
In 2011, Sunshine Review chose 152 local governments as the focus of research on public employee salaries. The editors of Sunshine Review selected eight states with relevant political contexts (listed alphabetically):
1. California
2. Florida
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. New Jersey
6. Pennsylvania
7. Texas
8. Wisconsin
Within these states, the editors of Sunshine Review focused on the most populous cities, counties and school districts, as well as the emergency services entities within these governments. The purpose of this selection method was to develop articles on governments affecting the most citizens.
The salary information garnered from these states were a combination of existing online resources and state Freedom of Information Act requests sent out to the governments.
A study published by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia said the city of Philadelphia faced challenges owing to the cost of public employee pensions.[8] The report claimed the amount that Philadelphia paid to pension recipients limited the city’s ability to use its budget effectively.
The report said there were more individuals receiving pension benefits—33,907 claimants in 2006—than workers in the city—28,701.[8] The authors recommended three steps towards addressing the problem of high costs in pensions: improved data collection, expanded transparency initiatives, and reductions to the city's overall budget.[8]
Salary schedules can be published as ranges, not as specific compensation figures, and may leave out compensation received through health and retirement benefits, as well as benefits such as commuter allowances and cell phone reimbursements. This project aimed to close the gap and provide a more accurate picture of public employee salaries for the sake of public education and transparency.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Are city employees' salaries public information or are they protected for personal privacy?—Texas Center for Community Journalism
- ↑ Texas Tribune "Police Salaries at Houston"
- ↑ Texas Tribune "Houston Salaries"
- ↑ Benefits and Salary
- ↑ Benefits and Salary
- ↑ Houston Invoice
- ↑ Houston Invoice
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 '’Philadelphia’s Quiet Crisis: The Rising Cost of Employee Benefits, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, January 23, 2008
