SNOOK, Texas (KRHD) — The City of Snook is on the hunt for a police chief amid discussions about starting a local police department.
- The City of Snook posted a job application for police chief online last week.
- The city wants to hire a police chief with 10 years of experience to create a force, recruiting additional officers and coming to the city with specific needs, i.e., building a station.
- There is no specific timeline the city wants the position filled.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A police department is one step closer to reality for our neighbors in Snook as the city looks for a police chief.
"In our November meeting, the council did discuss, and it was generally a consensus that we go forward with reaching out toward a hire of a police chief." Snook Mayor Frank Field told 15ABC.
The City posted an application last week.
Though, this recent posting isn't something every neighbor is happy about. Some took to social media saying it is a "waste of taxpayer money."
But neighbors like Ivy Chatwin say a department would be helpful since the city relies on the Burleson County Sheriff's Office and Constable's Office.
"Right now the response time is rather long because we're kind of far away from where the officers are," she said.
"What qualities would you like to see in a police chief?" 15ABC asked.
"I think that regardless of gender, race, immigration status, everyone should get the help that they need and that it's very important for our officers and anyone who's acting with authority to follow due process and treat people the way that we would all want to be treated," Chatwin said.
The city wants someone with at least 10 years of experience.
"They need to make themselves a part of the community and be sensitive to both how it has been and the way we want it to be as far as community policing is concerned," Fields said.
Fields tells 15ABC they'll start the chief on a $40,000 partial salary, which is already budgeted this year.
"Whoever we might hire that fiscal year ending at the end of September, so that would certainly have to be approved in the next year's budget but would then be approved at a full salary basis," he said.
Then, they'll rely on the chief to recruit more officers and come to the city with any needs like adding a physical station.
"It'll probably add an officer a year kind of kind of thing," Fields said.
The City's already received some applications but have not reviewed them yet.
