Fake Cops Terrorize

Fake cop home invasions grow into a frightening new Houston trend: Imposters have uniforms

After a rash of robberies by police impersonators, Houston law enforcement is asking citizens to keep a watchful eye on how officers are dressed.

Tuesday marked the third incident in recent weeks, when three men posing as police officers forced their way into a home near I-45 and Griggs. After pistol-whipping a young couple and threatening to take a their baby, the trio made off with credit cards and the family's SUV.

In early November, a man impersonating an Houston police officer crow-barred his way into a west side apartment only to confront the resident. The victim suffered a minor gunshot wound as the two struggled for the suspect's gun. Less than a week later, another bogus cop robbed a small recycling business in north Houston, making off with cash and the owner's truck.

Houston police encoura ge those approached by officers to look for badges and proper patrol vehicles.

Suspects in all three cases remain at large. In the meantime, Houston police encourage those approached by officers to look for badges and proper patrol vehicles.

"Stuff like this has been happening all over," says Jacqueline Orellana of Central Police Supply, located at the east end of Washington Avenue. "A lot of people have come in recently saying that their car have been broken into. It's really scary."

While it distributes officially-branded items to the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the store maintains an array of outdoor and tactical gear popular with civilians — from footwear to a truly impressive selection of flashlights.

To keep items like badges, uniforms, handcuffs and batons in the hands of law enforcement, Orellana says Central Police Supply has a strict photo ID policy for all police officers.

"It's not against the law to buy or sell any of these items. But, as a business, we do our due diligence to make sure they get to the right people."

Investigators urge anyone with information about the police impersonation cases to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. All tipsters remain anonymous.

A man dressed as a Houston police officer stormed into an apartment to find the resident inside. The victim suffered a minor gunshot wound during a brief struggle.

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income analysis

Texas families need to make this much money for one parent to stay home

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

With costs to raise a child soaring over $20,000 a year in Texas, some households might decide to have one parent work while the other stays at home to raise their child.

As the cost of raising a child balloons in major cities like Houston, many families are weighing the choice between paying for child care or having one parent stay home full-time.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset determined the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child in all 50 states. In Texas — not just Houston — that amount is just under $75,000.

The study used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to compare the annual living wages needed for a household with two working adults and one child, and a household with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child. The study also calculated how much it would cost to raise a child with two working parents based on factors such as "food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities."

A Texas household with one working parent would need to earn $74,734 a year to support a stay-at-home partner and a child, the report found. If two parents worked in the household, necessitating some additional costs like childcare and transportation, it would require an additional $10,504 in annual income to raise their child.

SmartAsset said the cost to raise a child in Texas in a two-working-parent household adds up to $23,587. Raising a child in Houston, however, is somewhat more affordable. A separate SmartAsset study from June 2025 determined it costs $21,868 to raise a child in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro.

In the report's ranking of states with the highest minimum income needed to support a family with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child, Texas ranked 32nd on the list.

In other states like Massachusetts, where raising a child can cost more than $40,000 a year, the report acknowledges ways families are working to reduce any financial burdens.

"This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied," the report said. "With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child."

The top 10 states with the lowest minimum income threshold to support a three-person family on one income are:

West Virginia – $68,099
Arkansas – $68,141
Mississippi – $70,242
Kentucky – $70,408
North Dakota – $70,949
Oklahoma – $71,718
Ohio – $72,114
South Dakota – $72,218
Alabama – $72,238
Nebraska – $72,966

texas income smartasset family