CITY OF KATY (Covering Katy News)—Katy Police Chief Noe Diaz is joining the Houston Police Department this week. Houston has a significantly larger department, but Diaz says he knows something about growth, having managed a police force that doubled in size during his five years in Katy.
The Katy Police Department's growth from about 45 officers to 91 is perhaps his most significant achievement, and he believes it will be his successor's biggest challenge.
At Monday night's City Council meeting, Mayor Dusty Thiele appointed Patrol Captain Bryon Woytek as interim chief, and the city began its search for a permanent chief. Diaz described Woytek as capable and responsible.
Managing growth also means adopting new technologies to better serve the community. In 2020, the city installed license plate readers in different parts of the city. In an interview after the license plate readers were installed, Diaz said they helped solve open cases, making the community safer.
The police have also incorporated the use of drones to help where needed. In 2023, the police purchased software enabling drones to show a live video feed to police and other first responders. Diaz described such moves as "leveraging technology to make the police smarter with science to better serve the community."
Diaz praised the Katy Council for its support as the department made these purchases and implemented the technology.
"They have been very open to new ideas, and they are the ones that have signed the check, so I'm grateful to them for listening," Diaz said. "And they put it all together. They truly have. It's not anything that I did. It's council working together with the city administrator, listening to those ideas, and making sure that we are keeping pace with what we're doing, keeping pace with the growth of the city, and keeping pace with the growth of the department."
As Katy's police chief, Diaz said he learned the importance of staying focused on the community.
"The community goes as the police department goes, so I'm a firm believer in that," Diaz said. "It's just one of those things; we have to be responsive to the community and all things good, bad, and different."
The council presented Diaz with a certificate of appreciation at its Monday meeting. Thiele and the council members thanked Diaz for his service and wished him well in his new role.
Diaz said Houston Mayor John Whitmire suggested he apply for the Houston police chief position. Diaz and Whitmire have known each other for decades.
"He called me and asked me if I was interested," Diaz said. "I went through a vetting process with him and his staff."