Houston voters pass ban on no-knock warrants and deprioritize minor marijuana cases
The charter amendment forces the police department to rank low-level drug possession as its lowest priority and requires officers to announce themselves before entry.
By Ibrahim Howard ·
Houston voters approved Proposition A on Tuesday, a charter amendment that overhauls the city's approach to no-knock search warrants and low-level marijuana possession.
The measure, referred to as the Houston Freedom Act, bundles two distinct policing changes into a single update of the city charter. Under the new rules, the Houston Police Department must designate the enforcement of Class A and Class B misdemeanor marijuana possession as its lowest law-enforcement priority. The amendment also creates specific reporting requirements for how the department tracks these cases.
The second part of the proposal bans police officers from requesting, executing, or participating in search warrants that skip the standard entry procedure. Officers must now knock, announce their presence, and wait at least 15 seconds before entering a residence.
Voters could not split the ticket on these two issues. The ballot presented them as one unit, meaning the city adopted both restrictions simultaneously.
The no-knock ban responds to criticism that followed the 2019 raid on Harding Street. That incident left homeowners Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas dead and wounded several officers. Supporters of the new law argued that these changes allow police to direct resources toward more serious crimes while reducing the risks of surprise raids. Opponents raised concerns about how the new local rules might conflict with existing state law.
The amendment does not make marijuana legal in Houston. Possession remains illegal under Texas law, and officers retain the authority to enforce those state statutes. The new policies are now part of the city charter, though specific questions about implementation and state law interactions may still require resolution.
