After years of recruitment struggles, the current Houston police academy class saw a 45-person spike from the prior one as a new police contract went into effect ensuring significant pay raises.

Houston police cadets are required to purchase their own firearms when they enter the academy. And Griffith has estimated a new firearm might cost as much as $800 to $900 plus tax.

Through the first three classes in fiscal year 2025, Houston graduated 125 cadets, compared to 2024, where they'd graduated 118 cadets after two classes and 181 after three, according to police ...