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The 2025 results are in!

  • Felix Bittmann
  • Dec 4, 2025
  • 2 min read

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - Results for the 12th Annual Bustin for Badges fundraiser are in. Bustin for badges is the largest law enforcement fundraiser of the year.

This year’s fundraiser raised $600,000 for local law enforcement. “That’s the biggest check I believe we’ve ever had and that’s incredible,” said Odessa Police Department Chief, Michael

Gerke. This money is split evenly between the Odessa Police Department, the Midland Police Department, the Ector County Sheriff’s Office and the Midland County Sheriff’s Office. Each department received $150,000 this year. That’s a $10,000 increase from last year. 


Agencies will use this money to buy equipment that will help them continue to serve the community and keep them safe in the process. “Last night I was at city council and we purchased 20 new ballistic vests for officers. Breaching equipment, ballistic shields for officers,” Gerke said “Crime scene investigation unit, they’re using a lot of equipment that’s outdated. We need to freshen that up and make it cutting edge again. Some equipment for our SWAT team, like our gas masks and then finally, our community relations unit, and so we’re going to spend that on some additional training for some new program and some equipment for them to use as well,” said Midland Police Department Chief, Greg Snow. 


This money is very important to these departments because it helps to close the gap between the budgets they receive and the price of the equipment they need.

“Property taxes in the City of Midland don’t actually even cover the full budget for our police and fire. Bustin for Badges provides a really important stream of income,” City of Midland Mayor, Lori Blong said. 


“Everything we do is very expensive. The technology is changing daily. We have to stay in tune with that and so we’re getting equipment to try and stay up with the changes,” said Ector County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff, Mike Griffis. 

Without this fundraiser they would have to pull money from other places. 

“We would have to find that money from somewhere else. Unfortunately the easiest place to take money from is training. So that’s probably where the money would come from, so without these funds that would suffer,” Gerke said. 

“We would of had to try to supplement this through other donations, grants, things of that nature and none of that stuff is ever guaranteed,” said Lieutenant Leith Hill, Administration for the Midland County Sheriff’s Office. They may also have to wait even longer for highly needed equipment.


“This helps us advance a little more quickly than we would otherwise,” Griffis said. 

They thank the entire community for the overwhelming support they show them.

“It’s great support out here in West Texas, the Permian Basin. There’s just nothing that matches it anywhere,” said Gerke. “It’s just incredibly humbling. You see that the spirit we have in the Permian Basin doesn’t necessarily reach other places,” Snow said. 


In 2026, Bustin for Badges will take place from April 29th to May 1st.


Check out CBS First Alert 7's report here:








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