GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — 17 candidates who applied for the police chief position have now been narrowed to eight.
“We need a police chief in that position, and I think it’s great that we’re moving in that direction,” Melanie Webb, Founder and Executive Director of Righteous Roots, said.
Brad Hunt, the former police chief and now the city manager, said he is ready for this change. He also acknowledged the impact of recent leadership transitions.
“They’ve been through five leadership changes by the time that new chief will have come in and been sworn in. Just in two years, it is not ideal for them, community stakeholders, community members, or business owners,” Hunt said.
Some stakeholders include Righteous Roots, a crisis center that works closely with local law enforcement. While they have not been directly affected by the leadership changes, Webb emphasized the importance of consistency moving forward.
“We are grateful to have a good relationship with our Police Department,” Webb said.
“One of the things that we are passionate about here at Righteous Roots is seeing the different agencies communicate better and knowing who’s doing what so that we can work together. Whenever we present a united front, we are able to make the biggest difference in our community.”
As the next few weeks unfold, Hunt said there is much to decide and many strong candidates to evaluate.
Everyone is eager to see who the next police chief will be, what they will bring to the table, and how they will serve the community.
“We know it’s important to have a good community relationship and really build on that trust that people give us, to honor that trust,” Hunt said.
“The new candidate that comes in, whoever is selected as police chief, will be building on that and always aware of it, making it better every day.”
Community members will have the opportunity to engage in the selection process. On Thursday, November 7, there will be a community meet-and-greet with the final candidates from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the City Council Chambers.
