Legislators press DPS on vacancies as police seek 1,000 cadets and agencies cite hundreds of gaps

Lawmakers at a May 11 Committee on Hacienda hearing pressed Department of Public Safety officials for precise vacancy counts and recruitment plans across first‑responder negotiados.

Police Superintendent Joseph González said the department currently has 10,861 active officers and 838 civilian employees and is requesting funding to train about 1,000 cadets in FY2026‑27 as part of an effort to raise the force toward a 14,000‑officer staffing target used in a 2022 study (Superintendent Joseph González, SEG 202–207; SEG 2068–2070). González also said the police project roughly 766 retirements by Dec. 31, 2026, making recruitment urgent (SEG 2056–2058).

Abner Gómez Cortés, EMS commissioner, said his negociado employs 607 people with 313 vacancies, of which only 12 positions are currently budgeted; he requested 100 paramedic positions to address coverage gaps and said the board has designated paramedics a "hot job" to help retention (Abner Gómez Cortés, SEG 1111–1116; SEG 1130–1131).

Fire Commissioner José Piñero Torres reported 258 vacancies in the fire corps and said academies are running (100 trainees currently) and the agency requested 100 additional firefighter positions in the new budget (José Piñero Torres, SEG 907–912).

Multiple legislators and panelists pushed for a coherent classification and retribution plan across first responders to avoid rank inversion (supervisors earning less than subordinates) and to align hazard differentials for positions such as radio operators and telecommunicators used in 9‑1‑1 operations (various deputies and representatives, SEG 741–776; SEG 1082–1091). The committee asked agencies to provide vacancy breakdowns by negociado and job class within five days (Chair, SEG 3450–3797).