{"id":220680,"date":"2026-03-26T01:35:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T01:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/220680\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T01:35:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T01:35:13","slug":"houston-police-officers-union-encourages-tsa-employees-to-join-hpd-amid-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/220680\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston Police Officers\u2019 Union encourages TSA employees to join HPD amid shutdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the partial federal government shutdown<\/a> stretches into its 40th day, the Houston Police Officers\u2019 Union is reaching out to TSA employees at Houston-area airports, highlighting career opportunities at the Houston Police Department.<\/p>\n

The union\u2019s message encourages Transportation Security Administration employees, who have been working without pay due to the shutdown, to consider a career switch. <\/p>\n

READ MORE: Over 450 TSA officers have quit since the partial shutdown began<\/a><\/p>\n

In a statement addressed directly to TSA workers, HPOU President Douglas Griffith said:<\/p>\n

Keeping our airports safe is important work. If you\u2019re looking for better job security, better pay, and the opportunity to make a real impact in a community that appreciates you, HPD is hiring.<\/p>\n

Apply today at www.HPDCareer.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c… and we have two airports you can be the police at, if you miss being around long lines of irritated people.\u201d<\/p>\n

KPRC 2 reached out to the HPOU President Douglas Griffith for further clarification, and he provided the following exclusive quote:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Houston Police Officers\u2019 Union would gladly accept members of the TSA who want to have a better career. Tired of long hours with intermittent pay? Come to the Houston Police Department where you are respected for your hard work and paid regularly.\u201d<\/p>\n

RESPONSE FROM LOCAL LEADERS: Lawmakers face scrutiny as TSA agents go without pay<\/a><\/p>\n

The recruitment push comes as Houston-area airports continue to face staffing challenges. <\/p>\n

TSA checkpoints at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport have seen long lines and growing frustration among travelers, a visible sign of the shutdown\u2019s impact. <\/p>\n

For frontline TSA agents, the consequences are more personal. Many are struggling to pay bills while Congress remains deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).<\/p>\n

Many political leaders in impacted areas have blamed the opposing party for its responsibility for the situation, and the TSA itself released a statement calling the crisis the \u201cDemocrats\u2019 shutdown.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: TSA confirms ICE deployed to airports, outlines agents\u2019 role amid staffing shortages<\/a><\/p>\n

Other officials have put their differences aside. Congressman Wesley Hunt, whose district includes parts of Houston, weighed in on the situation, emphasizing the human side of the crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t about politics,\u201d said Congressman Wesley Hunt. \u201cIt\u2019s about stability, fair compensation, and keeping Americans safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the shutdown continues with no clear resolution in sight, the union\u2019s outreach reflects the strain on TSA workers, as well as ongoing efforts by local agencies to recruit personnel in public safety roles.<\/p>\n

Interested applicants for HPD are encouraged to apply here.<\/a><\/p>\n

MORE COMMENTARY FROM HPOU: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo alleges being shoved by RodeoHouston security over $425 seat dispute<\/a><\/p>\n

Breaking News Alerts<\/p>\n

More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the partial federal government shutdown stretches into its 40th day, the Houston Police Officers\u2019 Union is reaching…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":220681,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1857,56,58,57,2543,23626,5171,23627,1829,66,223,4826,4024],"class_list":["post-220680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-government-shutdown","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news","tag-houston-police-department","tag-houston-police-officers-union","tag-hpd","tag-hpou","tag-ice","tag-local","tag-news","tag-shutdown","tag-tsa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=220680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220680\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/220681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=220680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=220680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=220680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}