Houston appoints J. Noe Diaz as new police chief

Today, Mayor John Whitmire announced the appointment of J. Noe Diaz as the new Chief of Police for the Houston Police Department. Diaz, who has been serving as the Chief of Police for the Katy Police Department since March 2019, will succeed Larry J. Satterwhite, who has been acting as Police Chief since May 2024.

Diaz began his career in law enforcement in 1987 as a correctional officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and later joined the Harris County Constable Precinct Five Office after completing his training at the University of Houston-Downtown Police Academy. In 1996, he became a DPS Trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety after attending DPS Academy A-96.

Mayor Whitmire expressed confidence in Diaz's abilities, stating, "I trust him, I have confidence in him, and I want Houstonians to know we will have the best Chief of Police and the safest big city in the nation." He further emphasized that "Noe Diaz knows how I feel about transparency. We are not going to tolerate bad practices."

Diaz's experience includes a promotion to sergeant in the Narcotics Division of State Police stationed in Houston and involvement with various task forces such as HPD, ATF, DEA, and FBI during his seven-year tenure. In 2008, he was appointed a Texas Ranger and worked on public corruption investigations as part of Company A (Greater Houston Area) for over ten years.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree from University of Houston-Downtown and a Master’s degree from Lamar University. His educational background also includes graduating from several prestigious programs such as FBI National Academy and Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command.

The Houston City Council is set to confirm both Diaz's appointment as well as Satterwhite's new role as Director of Public Safety and Homeland Security on August 14.