The Chief of Police for the Houston Police Department (HPD) recommends that City Council approve an ordinance authorizing the electronic application for and acceptance of grant funds through the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) for the FY26 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Comprehensive (STEP-COMP) Motor Vehicle Traffic Safety Grant in the amount of $1,711,419.04. The grant period is effective October 1, 2025 and ends on September 30, 2026. This will be the 31st year of funding for HPD.
If awarded, TXDOT will provide $1,711,419.04 in grant funding with a Cash Match and In-Kind Contribution requirement. Although TXDOT requires a Cash Match of $84,998.92, they will allow the City to use employee salaries to satisfy this requirement. HPD will allocate a portion of employee salaries toward meeting the match obligation. The In-Kind contribution, in the amount of $363,132.29, consists of a percentage of salaries, fringe benefits, and mileage.
HPD will utilize the grant to fund overtime for personnel over the 12 month-period to reduce the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities by increasing and sustaining high visibility enforcement of DWI laws, occupant protection laws, speed-related laws, intersection traffic control laws, and state and local ordinances on cellular and texting devices.
The Houston Police Department also requests City Council to authorize the Chief of Police or his designee to act as the City’s representative in the application process with the authority to apply for, accept and expend the grant funds as awarded, and apply for, accept and expend all subsequent awards, if any, to extend the budget period, and to authorize the Mayor to execute all related agreements with the approval of the City Attorney in connection with the grant not to exceed five years.
Fiscal Note:
Funding for this item is included in the FY26 Adopted Budget. Therefore, no Fiscal Note is required as stated in the Financial Policies.
No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.
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J. Noe Diaz, Jr.
Chief of Police