Appropriations Request for the 89th Regular Session Texas State Legislature

Request:

Establish a Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center and Police and Emergency Operations Center (PEOC)

The Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center will be the first agency in the greater Houston area to track and aggregate crime and urban issues data across the region, providing correlations and pattern recognitions around areas of critical concern. The Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center will serve as a hub for research and technical innovation, informing policy and procedural changes, leveling up the training of criminal justice and urban education professionals and improving community safety and study of urban issues.

The PEOC will replace UHD’s current Police Department, house the new Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center and the police academy, and serve as a unified command center for regional law enforcement agencies during emergencies, ensuring critical information is shared in real time. The PEOC will provide hands-on training to police cadets, criminal justice degree candidates, and students majoring in related fields through a variety of high-impact training practices.

Exceptional Item Request: $2.52 million

FY2026	$1,304,725
FY2026	$1,214,275

Exceptional Item Request: $2.52 million

Property Acquisition	$45,000,000
New Construction	$57,000,000

Funding Request

Rationale

UHD seeks the state’s investment to rise as a leader in criminal justice and urban research, policy and education. This can be accomplished by leveraging UHD’s unique niche as a fully downtown urban institution with a rich history in the criminal justice field and award-winning criminal justice faculty. This effort increases interdisciplinary and intra-disciplinary training and contributes to the safety and economic prosperity of Houston and the region.

About UHD

The University of Houston-Downtown is a comprehensive, four-year university with four distinct colleges. It is on the rise as an essential anchor institution for the greater Houston area, educating more than 14,000 students annually.

UHD is a diverse community of faculty, staff, students and regional partners dedicated to generating knowledge, nurturing talent and driving socioeconomic mobility for a just and sustainable future. UHD strives to be an inclusive university of choice for those seeking to contribute to the intellectual, social and cultural lives of their communities.

UHD is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024. It continues to establish partnerships in downtown Houston to address the complex needs of the city and region.

Endorsements

“I support the efforts from the University of Houston – Downtown to establish a Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center and a Police Emergency Operations Center (PEOC).

As a proud alum of this outstanding institution, I welcome UHD’s efforts to collect and analyze regional data that can lead to significant research opportunities through the Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center, and this will also impact the operational dimension of how we can better serve our community. I also recognize the importance of being prepared for emergencies through institutions such as the PEOC will coordinate with surrounding agencies during periods when managing efforts and resources in a timely manner is essential.

Public safety is a paramount concern across all jurisdictions, and I applaud UHD for taking the necessary steps to become a leader in this field. UHD will be serving the greater Houston area in real time, and it will prepare the future leaders of our profession.”

— Chief of Police J. Noe Diaz, Jr.
Houston Police Department

“As a proud alum of the University of Houston – Downtown, I recognize that investing in our community’s protection is essential for the future of public safety in Harris County.

I firmly believe in having a Police and Emergency Operations Center (PEOC), a centralized hub where police, fire, EMS, and other critical services can coordinate their efforts seamlessly.

I fully support creating the Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center. Access to current data and research ensures that our decisions are evidence-based, fostering progress within our industry and preparing future leaders to meet the challenges ahead.”

— Sheriff Ed Gonzalez
Harris County Sheriff’s Office

“I fully support the appropriations request from the University of Houston-Downtown to create the Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center and the Police and Emergency Operations Center (PEOC).

As both a graduate of the University of Houston–Downtown and an elected law enforcement leader entering my fourth term in office, I know what a strong ally this institution has been to police through its training efforts.

I also know the Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center will be an invaluable tool in analyzing critical data and pushing technical innovation. Good data and analysis help us with everything from budgeting to spotting patterns and trends on the street. That will make our communities and officers safer. In the nation’s third largest county, the Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center will give us a unique opportunity to use data and analytics in new and innovative ways to improve the overall fight against crime.

More hands-on training and a bridge to greater cooperation between law enforcements agencies during times of crisis through the PEOC will also be invaluable. With both programs rooted in the long UHD tradition of being a valuable law enforcement ally, it means these programs will have immense value and be in good hands.”

— Constable Alan Rosen
Harris County Precinct One

In Summary

University of Houston-Downtown requests $2.52 million to establish a Crime & Urban Issues Data Analysis Center (CUIDAC) and $102 million for the construction of a Police and Emergency Operations Center (PEOC).

These two centers serve distinct but related purposes: Advancing research and education in the field while also addressing the sustainability of the criminal justice workforce and improving community safety.