Draft:Pearland Police Department

Pearland Police Department
Pearland Police Department Logo
Agency overview
Formed	1960; 64 years ago
Employees	185
Annual budget	$51m USD (2020)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Pearland, Texas, USA
Operational structure
Agency executive	Johnny Spires, Chief of Police
Facilities
Patrol cars	Ford Police Interceptor Utility Ford Police Interceptor Sedan Chevrolet Tahoe
Website
https://www.pearlandtx.gov/departments/police

The Pearland Police Department (PPD) is the primary municipal law enforcement agency serving the City of Pearland, Texas, United States. With approximately 185 sworn police officers and 262 civilian personnel it makes it one of the larger suburban police forces in the state. Pearland is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. It's police station is located at 2555 Cullen Blvd in Pearland

PPD's jurisdiction neighbors with Houston, Brookside Village, Pasadena, Friendswood, Alvin, & Manvel.

History

Beginnings

File:Pearland Police Crown Victoria.jpg

Two PPD patrol cars on the side in 2009

The Pearland Police Department was founded on April of 1960, following a vote by the newly formed Pearland City Council. At the time of creation, R.V. Johnson was appointed as the first Chief of Police, becoming not only the leader of the department but also the first paid employee in the history of the City of Pearland. was initially staffed with two officers responsible for law enforcement duties. They were tasked with patrolling and maintaining safety in a city covering just two square miles, with a population of 1,467.

Modern Times

As of January 2025, the City of Pearland has 127,736 residents and is served by 185 sworn police officers. The department is led by Chief Johnny Spires, a law enforcement executive with more than 30 years of police experience. Chief Spires oversees the department's four divisions and more than 262 employees, including those in Patrol, Traffic Enforcement, Criminal Investigations, SWAT, K-9, School Resource Officers, Professional Standards, Telecommunications, Animal Services, and Jail.

Citizens Police Academy

In 1995, the Pearland Police Department created the Citizens Police Academy to educate citizens on the 'how' and 'why' of law enforcement, and to provide Police Officers the opportunity to meet and hear the citizens they serve.

The class has topics such as officer survival, patrol procedures, SWAT, criminal investigation, narcotics, K9, motorcycles and more. All applicants must be at minimum 18 years old.

Drone Program

In 2023, the Pearland Police Department received a certificate allowing it to operate drones without the operator needing a direct line of sight, becoming the first department in the United States to do so. The stated purpose was to enable immediate drone deployment during emergencies, providing situational awareness and allowing the operator to relay information to first responders.

Cole's Flea Market Shooting

On November 12, 2023, a dispute at a flea market led to a shooting involving five individuals, aged 10, 14, 16, 18, and 37. The suspect's name was identified as David Negrete and an arrest warrant was soon issued. Negrete surrendered to law enforcement after being identified and posted on social media for being in connection to the shooting. Texas Governor Greg Abbot announced a $15,000 USD reward for anybody who had helped law enforcement arrest him.

Use of force by police

In 2015, ex-NFL player Lamar Lathon alleged that a Pearland Police Officer drew his handgun on him without reason during a traffic stop for speeding. Later, the department released the full video of the dashcam of the events that occurred. The department says that Lamar Lathon was reaching underneath the seat while being told to not do that, and after several warnings the officer unholstered his handgun in worry that Lamar was reaching for a weapon. According to the department, the officer's actions were unprofessional. The Pearland Police Officer's Association President, John Despain, stated that Lamar Lathon's claims were inaccurate and called for an apology, accusing him of making mischaracterizations regarding his treatment by the Pearland Police Department.

In 2021, a Pearland Police motorcycle officer reportedly observed Johneisha Lewis traveling at 48 mph in a 20 mph zone and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Lewis then ran from the officer until stopping again. The officer then used a taser, after which Lewis complied. She faced two Class C criminal charges. Videos then surfaced on the internet showing the two officers forcing her out the car while she was allegedly three weeks pregnant. The department and NAACP then launched an investigation, with both organizations saying that the two officers did not use excessive force.

Patrol vehicles

As of 2024, the department primarily uses the Ford Police Interceptor Utility and Chevrolet Tahoe PPV as their main fleet of patrol vehicles, replacing the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (2003-2020). There are still Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors in the station's parking lot, however they are no longer used in service as of 2024. Because of Ford discontinuing the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, the department has chosen to phase the Ford Police Interceptor Utility in service as of 2015, later the following year, they phased the newer Chevrolet Tahoe PPV models in service to today. In 2016, the department phased in the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan to be used for mostly administrative operations, and as a sedan compared to the original Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. There is also a small fleet of Chevrolet Tahoe PPV and Ford Police Interceptor Utility which are primarily used as stealth vehicles more known as "ghost vehicles" with having no marked lightbar on top of the vehicle and the livery is transparent where you can barely see it. The department also uses Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In 2020, the department phased in the 2020 Ford Police Interceptor Utility, and later in 2023, the department phased in the more updated Chevrolet Tahoe PPV used for patrol and commercial vehicle operations. The vehicle livery for most patrol vehicles currently is a blue stripe going across the vehicle, with the departments logo, and text saying "PEARLAND" "POLICE." As of 2023, the department also changed their vehicle liveries to a more modern and slick style on the newer patrol vehicles. It consists of two blue sloped stripes, the departments badge, and text on the side saying "POLICE" "PEARLAND" with the American and Texas flag on each side of the vehicle. The department also has multiple Humvees and a BAE Caiman for rescue operations with SWAT. The outfitting on most of the patrol vehicles consist from brands by CODE 3 and GoRhino. Most of the patrol vehicle's lightbars are equipped with either the Code 3 RX2700, or Code 3 Pursuit. Older vehicles prior 2013 were equipped with the Code 3 TR21.

Fallen officers

Since its establishment, three officers of the Pearland Police Department have died in the line of duty. In 2017, the Pearland Police Officer's Association raised funds to construct a memorial honoring the department's fallen officers, recognizing their sacrifice in service to the community

Henry O. Wendell, Jr

Henry O. Wendell, Jr was struck and killed on October 6, 1967 by a vehicle while directing traffic on Main Street and Plum Street following a high school football game. Officer Wendell had served with the Pearland Police Department for two months. He was survived by his wife and five children.

James Howard Cassidy, Jr

James Howard Cassidy, Jr was struck and killed on May 16, 1973 by a commercial truck while escorting other trucks through the city. He was stopped on the Gulf Freeway when he was struck. Cassidy was a United States Airforce Vietnam War Veteran and had served with the Pearland Police Department for five years and previously served with the Lufkin Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife and two children.

Endy Ekpanya

Endy Ekpanya was killed on June 12, 2016 when his patrol car was struck head-on by a drunk driver between the intersection of East Broadway Street and Country Club Drive while responding to a non-emergency call. Officer Ekpanya had served with the Pearland Police Department for one year. He was survived by his 2-year-old son and fiancée.